


Force of Nature

by ReinaQueenofDemons



Series: I am the Other alternative verse [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adam and Sam don't have to jump into the cage, Adam is back, Bobby has to deal with Winchester feels, Cas is just along for the ride, Dean is dark and tormented, Depowered Castiel, Destiel Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Lucifer has no idea what is coming, M/M, Maybe some Lucifer/Sam really really later on, Poor Gabriel is dead or is he, Possibly some implied Adam/Michael, Really angry Raphael, Really devious Michael, Sabriel to come later on, Sam Needs Forgiveness, Season 5 ending AU, What is Adam/Samandriel anyway? Admandriel? That's in here too, Winsister
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-12
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2017-12-14 18:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/840156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReinaQueenofDemons/pseuds/ReinaQueenofDemons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four horsemen, four archangels, four elements, four siblings. </p><p>When Jamie rescues Adam from the angels they discover that the horsemen's rings unlock more then just Lucifer's cage. Each ring is the key to one of the four elements, a power that may make them strong enough to defeat Lucifer on their own terms.  </p><p>The tide is finally turning in their favor, but with power comes price. Dean must overcome his memories of hell if he is to embrace his new found ability. Sam, weakened by guilt, must first strive for forgiveness before he finds redemption.  Jamie's prophet status endangers not only herself but also her brothers in the face of an angry archangel. And Adam struggles to find acceptance and belonging in the family he has never known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue aka getting our baby brother back

**Author's Note:**

> Starts in the middle of 5.21. If you've read some of my other stuff (ie "Through her Eyes", "Things We Leave Unsaid", "I am the Other" on Fanfiction.net) you've met Jamie. Long, long, long story short Jamie is Sam's psychic twin sister who was raised in a convent for most of her life after John abandons her. It follows the same storyline as "I am the Other" up to 5.21 and then deviates from there.

 

“Jamie.”

Jamie Winchester moved her blonde hair away from her face as she slammed the hood of her truck and looked toward the sound of her name. Crowley, king of the crossroads, stood a few feet away, a smug grin on his face. “What are you doing here, Crowley?” Her voice was harsh as her sapphire eyes focused on the demon.

“I figured it was a bit unfair to leave you out of the action. Afterall, Dean has his death mission, Sam has to stop the croats, where does that leave you, prophetess.” She scowled at the sound of her title on his lips. “And there is one more thing you and your brothers want, isn’t there?” She could detect the illusiveness in his voice and she didn’t like it. She took a step forward, crossing her arms defensively. “Oh I’ve got your interest peaked, don’t I…prophetess?” The way her title rolled off his tongue sent a cold shiver down her spine. It took a second but the psychic pull of her telepathic power brought his thoughts into her mind, and she saw only one face. Young, pale, blonde hair, and eyes as blue as her own. Her baby brother, Adam.

“Adam.” She sucked her breath in sharply. “You know where Adam is?” Her eyes found the demon’s face and he nodded. “But…Michael. Michael has him.” She and Dean had failed to get Adam out in time. Zachariah had hurt both him and Sam, and she and Dean had been trying to pull both brothers from the room before the archangel appeared. Dean had him, had him in his arms, but Michael was there. She tried to pull them threw, but Michael caught Adam and slammed the door behind Dean, sealing their youngest brother from them. The anger she felt even now…especially because Michael had blocked Adam from her precognition. She couldn’t see him, and no vision would last long enough to find where the angels had hid him.

“Yes, which is why you’re the only one who can get to him.” He held out a map with a dark red X on the middle. “You’re Michael’s prophetess, that gives you unlimited access to Heaven’s general. And his hostage.” She grabbed the map and Crowley disappeared. Glancing down at the map with a sigh, she whirled around and went to find Dean and Sam.

Her brothers were in the house, packing Sam’s duffel in silence. Her eyes scanned over the mess of ammunition and salt rounds. “Jamie.” It’s Dean who acknowledges her first. Sam looks up at the sound of her name. “You got everything?”

“I’m not going.” She says firmly. This causes Dean to look up, his eyes questioning. She holds up a map. “I’m going to rescue Adam.”

“Where did you get that?” Sam asks, gesturing for it.

“Crowley.” She answers. Dean sighs, a petulant look on his features. “Dean I’ve got to try. He’s our brother too.”

“I know.” Dean rests his hands first on his hips and then reaches up to rub his neck. “Alright. Death is my bag. Sam, you have to go with Cas and Bobby. And Jamie, are you alright flying solo?” It’s been a long time since she’s worked a job alone. A very long time. Not since she was a rebellious teenager who snuck out of her dorm after lights out to hunt ghosts. After a moment she nods. “Alright then. Good luck.” He grabs her neck and pulls her in to kiss her forehead. As he does so he slips the jar of holy oil into her hand.

“I’ll see you and Adam when I get back.” Sam tells her, also planting a kiss on her forehead. He hands her Castiel’s neglected angel blade. She glances back at her brothers one last time before rushing back out to her truck.

The drive is long, longer then she expected. The warehouse where Adam is held is hidden and hard to locate. For a normal person, but not for a Winchester. Even without her psychic abilities, and the enhanced senses of a prophet, she could track this location. Her father taught her this. Silently she prays for success. Silently she apologizes to Michael for what she is about to do. She doesn’t hate the archangel, in fact she might even understand him, afterall he had siblings to protect and a world to save, even if he didn’t care about humans. But she hates his actions. And she needs to get to her brother. Adam may be her baby half brother that’s she’s only met twice, and the first time he was a ghoul in disguise, but he is still her brother, her blood.

 She parks her truck about a half mile from the site, hiding it under brush and leaves. She stashes a small bag with holy oil, the angel blade, holy water, and salt, even though she’s positive it won’t work. Her flashlight, handgun, and knife she straps into her utility belt, hiding it under her black canvas jacket. It’s a paradox, but she hangs a St. Michael’s medal around her neck before rushing off for the warehouse.

Even from outside the barbed wire fence she can feel the warding. Demonic, angelic, and otherwise. The sigil Castiel branded on her ribs almost burns as she closes in. She scales the fence with ease, but it alerts the two angels standing guard at the back entrance. Before they can even move a muscle she holds her hand out. “Ego vox clamantis in deserto. Tu non tangere me.”

They drop to their knees with mutters of “Prophetess.” She is no ordinary prophet. She is the Voice. The one who will narrate the Apocalypse. The one who will stand at Michael’s right hand in Paradise. She swallows thickly and shoves the door open with her telekinesis. The air is stale inside, the warehouse has been abandoned for years. She coughs as a blast of dust greets her. “Don’t worry, Adam. I’m here.” She whispers, creeping down a dark hallway.

She can feel him. It’s not a prophet thing. It’s not a psychic thing. It’s a family thing. She flings the door open with a strong blast of telekinesis, only to be greeted by five angels, standing in a protective circle around Adam, whose tried to a chair unconscious. “Prophetess.” One angel, wearing the meatsuit of a blonde woman, recognizes her seconds before the others sense her status.  

“Jamie Winchester.” Venom coats her name at the lips of another. She may be Michael’s prophet, but she is also a Winchester, and the Winchesters are not well regarded in Heaven. If they were not the vessels, they would have destroyed long ago.  

“Ave Prophetissa.” That voice she recognizes, and it comes from behind her, not in front. She whirls around to face Raphael, who grins at the sight of her.

“Ave Raphael archangele.” She mutters, unable to help it.  

“Quid hic agis?” He inquires, walking around her in a sharp circle.

“Ego hic frater meus.” She follows him with her eyes. “Dabis frater meus ad me.”

Raphael throws his head back and laughs. “Illud quod facit putas volo?”

“Deus praecipit.” Confident. She had to be confident, and firm, and strong. She had authority here, even though she was technically in exile. The result of choosing her brothers over the angels and allowing her ribs to be branded, but she knew even exile was all part of the grand design. She would called out of exile when the Apocalypse began.   

“Deus? Deus est mortuus.”  

“Vivit Deo. Ego loquor pro Deo. Ego loquor pro Michael.”

For the second time Raphael laughed at her. Jamie’s eyes narrowed and she unsheathed the angel blade from her bag, holding it on Raphael. The angel’s eyes glistened in amusement. “Five angels are here at my command, Michael is watching in Heaven, what makes you think you can pull this off?”

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.” She hissed between clenched teeth reciting the passage in John. “You will not touch me.” She ordered the other angels without taking her eyes off Raphael. “I am the servant of Michael, and only he can command me. If you lay a hand on me, he will smite you. Even you, Raphael.” She shoved the blade against his chest so that it nicked his flesh a little. “Depart to Heaven. All of you. This is the command of Michael’s prophetess.” Three of the angels disappeared immediately. Two hung back, their eyes locked on Raphael. “I will not say this again!” She hissed. “Ego vox clamantis in deserto!” They immediately disappeared.

Jamie stared down Raphael, the angel blade still pressed firmly against his chest. “You’ve finally gotten your confidence back, prophetess.” He tells her with an almost genuine smile. “I haven’t seen you this…strong, brave, true, since before what’s his name died…AJ was it?” Too late the pain appears on Jamie’s face. AJ, her partner, her lover, her fiancé, murdered by Lilith in the final days before Dean’s deal was up. “Ahh yes, that’s still an open wound in your heart isn’t it. I can bring him back, Jamie. Michael can bring him back.”

Her breath comes in sharp pants, and she trembles just a little. “No.” She says finally, stoning herself against the pain and the memories. “I’m here for my brother. You will go back to Heaven Raphael. And you will tell Michael that the Winchesters are not his chess pieces. Go!” Raphael laughs at her one last time and disappears. She falls against the wall, breathing heavily for a few minutes before whirling and rushing to Adam.

“Adam. Hey.” She kneels down in front of him and takes the gag out of his mouth. He opens weak eyes and stares at her. “You’re going to be okay, come on.” She uses the angel blade to slice the ropes that bind his wrists, and hauls him to his feet. He’s too light and yet as heavy as dead weight. She drapes one of his arms over her shoulders and pulls him along with her.

“Jamie?” He wakes with a start in the cab of her truck. His blue eyes search wildly until they fall on her.

“Calm down. You’re alright. You’re safe.” She reaches one arm across to him and rests it in his lap. He reaches out and squeezes her hand.

“How did you-“

“I have no idea, honestly. I threw my weight around a little. I can’t believe it worked.” She steadied the stirring wheel and started to rifle around with her jacket.

“They…they told me that the prophetess was the servant of Michael, his right hand.” She grabbed the wheel, keeping the truck straight and then laid her jacket over Adam. “They said you wouldn’t rescue me because you couldn’t go against him.”

“Well they were wrong. Go back to sleep, Adam. We’ll be at Bobby’s soon enough.”


	2. Power of Four

Sunlight crept into the study, shining through the sigils that littered the glass. Jamie opened her eyes slowly, yawning as she shifted to stretch and promptly banged into something hard and warm curled around her torso. Adam was huddled against her, his eyes squeezed shut in waking nightmare. Gently she unwound his arms from her, and quietly she slide off the bed, tucking the thin blanket around her baby brother before she padded barefoot into the kitchen, carefully stepping over Sam and Cas, who were laid out on the floor as she did so.

“Yur up early.” Bobby’s gruff voice penetrated through the early morning silence.

“I went to bed early.” She replied, taking the mug of coffee that her surrogate uncle offered. “I didn’t even hear you guys get back.”

“That’s cause we just got in bout 20 minutes ago.”

“Oh. You hear from Dean?” She takes a sip of the mug, it’s strong enough to knock her on her ass, bitter and black, but it gets the job done. The last remnants of sleep are gone, and her blue eyes are more alert now.

“Yeah, he’s a couple hours out yet. Should be back soon.” She doesn’t get a chance to ask before Bobby quickly adds. “He didn’t say anything about the ring.”

Adam is still asleep when she finally hears the Impala’s engine rumble and die outside. Sam is outside with a cooler of beer and a promise that she’d join him in a minute. She’s reading some old book written in classical, pre-Church Latin, that she’s found in a dark corner of the study. It hadn’t seemed like much, but the more she reads the more interesting it becomes. Carefully she puts it down on the desk, the page earmarked and throws the crappy blanket back over Adam.

Castiel is still asleep on the floor, and if the world wasn’t dying bloody she would have been tempted to take a picture and send it to her big brother so he could see how adorable his angel is all curled up like a cat. But the world is dying bloody and she just carefully steps over the power-stripped angel and heads out the door.

“Dean’s back.” She really doesn’t have to say anything to Sam. She knows he knows. It’s just a conversation starter. Sam, though, merely nods in acknowledgment, leaning harder on the hood of Bobby’s car and says nothing when she grabs two beers out of the cooler.

 “Did you get the ring?” She walked into the garage where Dean was leaning over a work bench, the rings of the horsemen on the table in front of him. She breathes in relief at the sight of four.  

“Yeah. Look at this.” Dean gestured for his little sister to come closer and then pulled the rings apart. They instantly flew back together, connecting to each other.

“Well that’s creepy.” She handed him one of the beers and leaned against the bench.

Dean stays quiet for a moment.“Is Adam alright?”

It takes her a minute to answer. “Yeah, I got the kid back safe and sound.” It really doesn’t answer his question, but it’s satisfactory for now, when Adam wakes up they’ll both know how their baby half brother is really doing. “He’s still asleep, though. Michael is probably pretty pissed, but he can bite me.” She smirked and then took a long swig of her beer. “Bobby, Cas, and Sam stopped the demons. They’re all okay.”

Dean took a drink of his beer and nodded. “That’s good. Death didn’t have anything helpful about stopping Lucifer. Except-“

“Telling you and Sam to say yes? Yeah, I figured. They’re all against us.” Dean frowns into his beer and says nothing. “I don’t know what to do anymore, besides letting Sam say yes.” She adds, honestly, searching her brother’s face for some spark of genius, for the beginnings of a plan, or hell just for a speck of advice but finds nothing. He doesn’t have any idea either. “You’re gonna say yes aren’t you.” It’s not a question.

“I’m not gonna let Sammy die alone. If he says yes, someone’s gotta get him into that cage. I just hope I can fight off Michael and he can fight off Lucifer long enough to do it.”

“Well I’m Michael’s right hand, I’ll try to suppress him, and if you can’t hold him I’ll do whatever it takes. But this whole Voice thing, I don’t know if I’ll have control either. When it begins I have a job that I have to do, that I’ll be forced to do.”

“Well, we have Adam now too. We’ll figure something out.”   

“Jamie? Dean?” The two siblings turn to see the aforementioned brother standing beside Sam. He’s holding a book in his hands and when Jamie gives it a second look she realizes it’s the book she’s been reading from.

“What is it, Adam? Are you alright?” Dean immediately steps forward, his big brother instincts kicking into high gear.

“I think I know how we can stop the devil…without you guys saying yes.” He’s timid, and his fingers dig into the binding of the book like it’s the Holy Grail itself.

For a long time Dean, Sam, and Jamie stare at each other, until finally the sister gestures to the book. “Is that the book I was reading this morning?” She can’t think of anything else to say, the fact that Adam may have figured out a plan has left his older siblings speechless.

“Yeah. It’s in here.” Adam confirms what Jamie had not let herself hope. She instantly knows what he’s referencing. The book speaks of quattuor, four, and quattuor quater, four times four as the key. “Quattuor is the key.”

“What the hell is quattuor?” Dean asks, glancing towards Sam and Jamie.

“It’s Latin for four, like the number.” Sam answers, crossing his arms as he glances down at Adam. “But the key to what?”

“Ultimate power.” Jamie answers, her eyes fixed on Adam. “Neopagans have this concept that the Earth is ruled by the balance of four. Four directions, four elements, four guardians, etc. And they aren’t necessarily wrong, the number four does show up in other mythologies. Plato held to the concept of four elements.”

“Four horsemen.” Dean held up the rings so Adam and Sam could see them.

“And four archangels.” Sam adds. “Before Lucifer fell.”

“When Lucifer fell the Judeo-Christian numerology began to focus on three as the divine number instead of four, but think about it. Seven is the number of perfection, that’s three plus four. Twelve is the number of government, of rule, of kingdom, and that’s divisible by three and four.” Jamie explains.

Dean looked skeptical. “Well that’s all interesting but what the hell does it mean? How are we supposed to get this ultimate power?”

Adam frowns. “The book says something about ‘quattuor quarter’ four times four.”

“So four horsemen, and four archangels.” Sam reasons, counting on his fingers. “And four elements, right? So what’s the last four?”

Jamie’s eyes widen with realization. “It’s right here.” She gestures to herself and her brothers. “Four siblings.”

“But that doesn’t tell us how we get this power. What’s the conduit?” Dean goes back over to the bench and starts playing with the rings.  

 “That is. It’s gotta be about the rings. They harnass the horsemen’s power-

Sam cuts Jamie off, realization dawning on his face as well.“But they’re also the key to Lucifer’s cage, which means they’re also tied to the archangels.”

“Exactly. How much do you wanna bet they’d be tied to the elements too?”

“And then to us.” Adam finishes. “We each have a ring, we have access to the element. And the element is the power. Put all four of them together, that’s how we get Lucifer back in the cage.”

“Well then what are we waiting for?” Dean snatches up the rings and pulls them apart. He starts to hand a ring to Jamie, but she shakes her head.

“Wait. It’s not that simple. It’s never that simple.”

Adam nods. “She’s right, Dean. We’re probably tied to a specific ring, if we get the wrong ring it won’t work.”

Dean sighs, getting tired of being left out of the brain convention going on. “So how do we figure out which ring is whose? What list out all our redeeming qualities and see which one fits best with which?”

Sam grins. “Exactly.”  


	3. Balancing act

 

Bobby knocks some books off a table and spreads out a blank piece of paper. Dean, Sam, Jamie, and Adam all crowd around. Dean drops the rings unto the center of the paper. “Okay, what do we know?” Bobby asks, looking at the four siblings.

Jamie grabs a pen and starts to scribble something down. “Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel are traditionally associated with South, West, East, and North, respectfully.”

“Obviously Uriel is a late edition. A…revision.” Sam offers. Jamie nods, crossing out Uriel’s name and writing Lucifer in its place. “That could be just the beginning.”

“Well we know some things for sure. Dean is Michael, and Sam you’re Lucifer…no offense.” Sam shrugs it off as Jamie writes Dean and Sam’s names down. “Which leaves me and Adam and Gabriel and Raphael.”

“How do we tell who is who?” Adam asks.

“Well Dean and Sam are who they are because of birth order. Firstborn son and younger brother. Why would it be different for us?”

Dean crosses his arms. “But whose older, Gabriel or Raphael?” 

Sam looks up. “Remember when we found out the Trickster was Gabriel? The way he talked about Michael and Lucifer?”

Dean nods. “Yeah, he didn’t say anything about Raphael at all. In fact, I’ve never heard any of them talk about Raphael.”

“Wait a minute guys.” Jamie tapped the pen against the table as if trying to reason something out. “Michael’s vessels are all of our bloodline and ours alone. Lucifer’s true vessel has to be Michael’s vessel’s brother. Gabriel has been missing from Heaven for millennia. And god knows the guy isn’t exactly a monk. What if what makes us Michael’s vessel is that we’re-“

“Nephilia. Descendants of Gabriel.” Sam interjects.

“Or at least Gabriel’s vessel.” Adam adds, crossing his arms. Jamie smiled, he looked a lot like Dean with that gesture. “Winchester is an old Anglo-Saxon name, and if Gabriel is also Loki…”

“Right. But Raphael…” Jamie trailed off, something else coming to mind. “I mean…well Winchester is a county in England. It’s English Aristocracy. They would have owned slaves especially here in America.”

Dean held his hands up towards his siblings, not liking the turn of conversation. “Woah, woah, woah, hold on a second!”

“Don’t worry about it, Dean. Most upper class families were slave owners at one point in time.” Adam told him. “You were saying, Jamie.”

“I’m saying that if Raphael’s meatsuit is related to us, it’s distantly.”

“Raphael’s the redhaired step-child.” Sam concluded.

Jamie nodded. “Yeah. He might have even just been created when Lucifer fell. He’s not close to the others. It’s Michael, Lucifer, and Gabriel who are the brothers.”

“And Gabriel is the one who disappeared to Earth. For years.” Dean said, giving Jamie a look.

“Okay, so I’m Raphael and Jamie’s Gabriel. On to the elements.” Adam grabbed the pen from Jamie and wrote “Fire” under Dean’s name and “Earth” under Sam’s.

“Okay, stop just a second.” Dean reached across the table for the pen. “We don’t know this for sure, and we have to be absolutely sure. Wouldn’t fire be Lucifer’s element?”

“The elements are neutral, Dean.” Sam assured him. “But you’re right, we need to be careful, because Lucifer when he was an angel was the angel of light. Which does tie him to fire.”

Adam shook his head. “Right, but fire is also associated with passion and with heart.”

Jamie nodded. “Those fit you most of all, Dean. You’re our big brother, the one who would sacrifice everything, including your own life for us. ” Dean looked down and Jamie and Sam glanced each other. “Anyway, um, earth is associated with wisdom and the body.”

“Which would be Sam, moreso then Dean. Dean, you’re physically strong, but your true strength is in your heart. Sam, everything you are comes from inside, body like a vessel. And wisdom…” Sam blushed at Adam’s assertion. “Moving on. Gabriel is water, right? Water is courage and blood.”

“It’s about strength, right? Our greatest strengths?” Dean asks, looking around. “If Sam’s smarts are what he has going for him I think courage and blood are yours, Adam, not Jamie’s. You faced those ghouls without a second thought, and you’re our blood, it’s how we found you, it’s what binds us to you.”

“I agree,” Sam grabbed the pen from Dean and wrote “Water” under Adam’s name. “Which leaves air for Jamie. Which makes perfect sense because that’s breath and what knowledge?” he gestured pointedly at his sister. “Exorcist, Vampire Slayer, you’re almost better at lore then Dean. And you’re a psychic, your telekinesis you manipulate gravity you manipulate the air already.” Without another word he wrote “Air” under Jamie’s name.

“You four work amazingly well together.” Bobby commented from his place across the room. He had been watching them with quiet interest. They almost fed off each other. Dean’s straightforwardness, Sam’s reasonable awareness, Jamie’s wealth of information, and Adam’s insightfulness all worked as a collective unit. The old hunter was impressed to say the least. He had been waiting for Dean to trust Sam again, but he didn’t expect Adam to be so forthcoming. He didn’t exactly think teamwork was a Winchester trait.

“Yeah well, let’s hope this dumb run of luck holds out.” Dean commented, glancing at Bobby with a slight smirk before turning his attention back to his siblings. He didn’t exactly buy whatever was stewing in his younger brothers and sister’s head, but if the three of them all agreed he wasn’t going to stand in their way. Obviously something big was going on if the ex-demon-blood junkie, the prophetess, and the long lost baby half-brother were all the same frequency. “So the rings?”

“Right.” Sam reached for the rings in the middle of the table. “We don’t know whose is whose.” He stared down at the four rings, all interconnected. The simple gold band, the one he cut from War’s hand seemed warmer than the other three. He adjusted his grip on the ring and the sensation spread throughout his entire body. “Guys.” He took a breath and looked up at his siblings. “I think War is mine.” Dean, Jamie, and Adam all turned to him. Jamie, through their telepathic link, asked if he was sure. He assured her that he was. “It’s weird, but it just feels like it fits.”

“So what, we’re just gonna know?” Dean asked, looking at Sam and then Jamie. Both twins nodded, though Sam also shrugged. Their older brother rolled his eyes and shook his head in feign disbelief.

“Well that throws out my color theory.” Adam said, his voice holding a small amount of dejection. “I thought I was on to something.”

Jamie put a warm hand on her younger brother’s shoulder. “It’s a good observation all the same.” She told him softly. Sam pulled the rings apart and grasped War’s. The other three he laid out on the table. “Well, here goes nothing.” The psychic hunter rolled her shoulders and held her hand out in front of the rings. All three rings trembled on the table as she focused her psychic energy towards the one calling to her. Suddenly Famine’s ring, the silver band baring a black stone, leap into the air towards Jamie. She promptly snatched it and curled her fingers around it. “Woah.”

“Woah.” Adam echoed. He and Dean glanced at each other and then at the remaining two rings on the table. They stared at the rings for a long moment before Adam quickly spoke. “Pestilence.”

“Death.” Dean said at the same exact time. They reached forward and claimed their rings. Jamie nodded to herself, glancing at her brothers. “Alright. So, let’s do this.” Dean declared. He slid Death’s ring unto his hand. Sam, followed by Jamie, and finally Adam all did the same. Dean curled and uncurled his fingers, looking at the ring. “Well I don’t feel any different.”

Sam opened his hands and stared like he expected something to happen. “I thought we’d like get powers or something?” He turned his hands over and sprawled his fingers out as if the action would make a difference.

Jamie shrugged turning around and pointing across the room. A book floated off the floor, but she still frowned deeply. “Yeah, nothing. Nothing I can’t already do, anyway.” She dropped her hand and the book fell back onto the floor. “Maybe we didn’t choose the right rings.”

 “Uh…guys.” Adam’s voice came out in a panicked squeak which caused all three of his older siblings to whirl around, sliding into protective stances. Water was pooling at Adam’s feet, dripping off his body in large, condensed droplets as though he had just had a pail of water poured over his head, except the water was coming from inside his body. It seemingly exploded from his skin, the droplets growing larger and stronger with each passing second. “Guys!” Adam said again, his blue eyes growing wide with fear. “How do I turn it off?!”

Sam raised an eyebrow and reached out for Adam’s arm, but the second Sam’s skin came in contact with Adam’s his hand hardened and took on a dirt and stone like appearance. Sam gasped at the sudden intake of power, but Adam gasped in pain and cried out, causing his older brother to quickly release him.   

“What the hell?” Dean yelled, half in disbelief as he stared at his youngest sibling. Instinctively he grabbed for the boy, but as he did so fire erupted from his arms. On contact with Adam, Dean was thrown across the room with a violent spray of water that left him crumpled on the ground.

“Dean!” Jamie leaped for her oldest brother, a whirlwind of air propelling her to him. But as she tried to lift him to his feet, a sudden shock ricocheted through her body, and she fell to the ground just as Dean was again engulfed in flames.

“Jesus Christ!” Bobby cursed, standing as far back from the siblings as possible. “What the hell is going on?”

“Balance.” Came the reply. The four siblings turned to see Castiel standing in the doorway. “The elements all balance one another, you four in turn balance each other.” The fallen angel strode carefully into the room, helping Jamie to her feet, and then laying a hand on Dean’s shoulder. This quenched the fire that surrounded him. Adam had seemingly returned to normal, but Sam was staring wide eyed at his hands as the skin returned to its pale color. “Each element is strengthened or weakened or neutralized by another.” Cas continued. “In turn, each of you either strengthens, or weakens, or neutralizes the power of your sibling.”

“I think I understand.” Jamie said softly, crossing her arms. “When Sam touched Adam, it weakened him but caused Sam’s power to surface, so water must be weakened by earth, and earth in turn strengthened by water.”

“And when Dean touched me, I felt this…it just shot through me.” Adam tried to explain. “Fire must strengthen water.”

“And water in turn weakens fire.” Dean added. “But air strengthens fire…when Jamie touched me…I’ve never felt anything like that.”

“Yeah me neither. It knocked me on my ass.” Jamie mused. “Okay, so Adam is strongest with Dean, weakest with Sam, which means with me, air neutralizes water and vice versa.”

Sam nodded. “Which means that Dean is strongest with you, weakest with Adam, and that has to mean that fire and earth, Dean and I, would be neutral together.”

“So if you’re neutral with me, and strongest with Adam, then with Jamie you’re at your weakest.” Dean concluded, looking at Sam. “So then air is strongest with earth, weakest with fire, and neutral with water.”

“What about all four of us together?” Adam asked, turning to Castiel. “What does the balance do?”

“Defeats Lucifer.” Was all Castiel said. 


	4. The fire inside me will burn me

 

Dean stared hard at his open palms, his emerald eyes focusing on every miniscule detail, every wrinkle, every crevice. If he stared long enough, he told himself, maybe the flames would appear. It wasn’t working, however, he had been trying for almost an hour. He just could not get the fire he felt inside to manifest.

He felt it inside alright. From the moment they first appeared the flames leapt and licked at his subconscious, consuming all his thoughts and warping them so that wherever he looked he saw nothing but the rack, and Alistair’s ashen face, twisted with diabolic pleasure. His torso ached with long-healed wounds. His shoulders protested movement as though still impaled with meat hooks. Half the time he couldn’t tell whether the screams were hallucinations or his own voice.

He had retreated far from his siblings under the guise that they all needed a few days of practice in solitude to test the full scale of their abilities. It was an excuse to get into his baby and drive out to the middle of nowhere. He had hoped he could control his thoughts, contain the memories from Hell, and learn this ability. He had hoped for the first time in a long time, and he was almost surprised when it turned out to be false.

He was the eldest brother, the leader, the strong one, the one who had given his life so that his siblings could live. Fire was supposed to be lord over all the elements, Death the master of all, Michael the prince of Heaven, and yet here was Dean Winchester, the failure, the weakest link. He wasn’t the man his father had raised him to be. He couldn’t shoulder the burden that had been placed solely him, for him and him alone to carry out. This was his fight, and here he was, hiding, like a little child afraid of the dark. Pathetic.

The self-deprecating helped a little. It got the flames moving inside. He realized after a moment that if he focused on them long enough they would congregate together, sort of like strains of rope entwining around each other, and if he pushed on it he could force them to move. It was strange as hell in his mind, but it worked. He could feel the flames moving down his arm, towards his finger tips, but the sensation was too much. It was too much like the hot poker Alistair liked to jab him with. He lost focused too easily, and the flames came undone, once against shooting across his entire body.

“God fucking damnit!” He yelled across the abandoned field. A pair of crows nesting in the brush, flew away. He sank down quietly to the ground and sat there for a minute, trying to pull himself out of memories of torture and pain. The flames inside him burned, and it multiplied the pain, the mental quickly becoming physical and he was pretty sure he was having a minor psychological breakdown.

“Dean?” The next thing he saw were a pair of bright, sapphire eyes staring up at him in concern. Castiel was squatting down beside him, one hand resting firmly on his knee, the other hovering in the air as if reaching out to touch. Finally the other hand came to rest on his shoulder. “Dean?” The angel asked again, and this time Dean was startled, pulled back quickly into reality. The grip from the angel kept him from jumping into the air, but he still breathed in too quickly and his heart skipped a beat. “Are you alright?”

“Cas, how the hell did you get here? How the hell did you find me?” It took a few seconds, but he managed to get to his feet without the angel’s help, backing away from his too-near presence.

“My _batteries_ ,” He said the world carefully as if not entirely sure it was correct. “have been recharged.” He explained. Dean mentally slapped himself. Of course Cas’s angel powers, limited though they were, were back in action. Good. They needed all the help they could get. “Jamie told me where you were.” He added, if a bit sheepishly.

Jamie. Of course, nothing got past his psychic little sister. She probably knew about his suffering too, his weakness. It wouldn’t surprise him, not after she told him that she felt his anguish in hell as though it was happening to her. He really didn’t want to think about that, it just made him feel that much more guilty, reminding him that much more of how he screwed up. He’d never admit it, but he felt responsible for Sam drinking demon blood, afterall he died and left Sam with Ruby, if he hadn’t it would have never happened, Sam would have never wanted revenge in that way. For Jamie to feel even a fraction of his torture was way too much. But feel it she did. He knew she did. He remembered how she looked when she met him after he came back: pale, thin, almost frail even, her eyes were hollow and almost lifeless. She recovered quickly, a few days after they met Cas she was back to being strong and arrogant, but she was more distant than ever. He couldn’t help feeling like he had come back from the grave only to lose both siblings.

“Dude, you don’t use my sister like a supernatural lowjack.” He doesn’t know why he says it. It’s completely untrue, hell Sam just did the same thing a few weeks ago to stop him when he had been planning to say yes to Michael. Of course he said something similar to Sam at the time.

Cas’s face tightened in confusion. “She freely offered me the information. She was quite insistent that I visit you.” Oh. Another thing Jamie was incredibly good at, forcing the envelope when it came to him and Cas. “So was Sam.” So was Sam. His siblings were all against him. Another couple of days and Adam would probably be jumping on the “ _Destiel”_ band wagon.   

“Of course they were.” He answered, taking a few more steps away from the angel. Cas was still staring at him like he was confused. “What?” His voice came out more tired than anything.

“I was wondering why they were so insistent that I visit you.” He didn’t mean to turn red, he really didn’t. “Dean…you’re blushing.” Damn. “What’s the matter?”

“Cas, Jamie and Sam, they…they think that you and I…”Oh Christ, what he had gotten himself into. Apparently the fire in his veins was also in his heart because he could feel the… _passion_ he always secretly felt for the angel growing and it was spreading to another very uncomfortable location uncomfortably fast. He briefly wondered if he could set fire to something with his dick, and the thought was so amusing that he couldn’t help laughing out loud. This, of course, only served to further Castiel’s confusion, and he realized he had just dug himself a hole he wasn’t getting out of anytime soon. “They think that you and I should be together.” Bam. Where was his gun when he needed it.

Castiel didn’t get the reference. “Well, we are together.” He replied, completely stoic and monotone.

“Not that kind of together. Together as in _together_.”

It started to dawn on the angel’s face. The _virgin_ angel’s face. Dean was pretty sure he was redder then the sun that was setting just behind them. “Oh.” Was Castiel’s reply. “They think we should _couple_?”

“Be a couple. Yes. I guess. Yeah.”

Cas tilted his head and stared at Dean. “And what do you think?” No. No, just no. Dean Winchester was not about to answer that question. Not honestly, anyway. And then reality smacked him hard across the face and he remembered that in a few days he and his siblings would be going against Lucifer and probably Michael and that even if they won they would probably be dead in the end. It’s not like he gave a damn what God thought of homosexuality. And all the people whose opinion he did give a damn about were either dead or frickin cheerleaders about “it.” It being a relationship with Castiel.

“I…I guess…I mean…” He owed Castiel everything. The angel had pulled him off the rack and put him back together again. Hell, Cas fell from Heaven, literally, for Dean. One of the greatest sacrifices an angel can make Cas had made for Dean. Dean sure as hell could sacrifice a little bit of pride for Cas, especially when they might not be alive in a week. “If you want to.”

Cas looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, and then walked over to him. He gave him the blank, emotionless stare that he always had for him, especially when he was invading his personal space, and then did the last thing Dean was expecting. He reached up and mashed his lips against Dean’s. “I want to.” He confirmed.

Dean grabbed unto Cas and shoved his mouth back unto the angel’s. His lips were firm and sweet and he couldn’t get enough of the taste. Cas shoved back just as forcefully. He had almost forgotten the last hour, but now the flames inside Dean’s body flared up again. They roared and tugged and exploded inside him. With a hard shove, he knocked Castiel backwards. “No!” He commanded, afraid that he would lit the angel on fire at any second. “I can’t…I’m burning Cas.”

“No, you’re not.” Castiel replied firmly. “You just need to know how to tame them. Focus.” He stepped towards Dean again, his hands moving to his face, his palms resting on his temples. “Calm down.” He ordered, and Dean was somehow able to force his body to obey. “Focus on the flames. See them moving, snatch them up. You control them Dean, they do not control you.”

“But Hell…” he protested. “I don’t feel like I’m strong enough. I feel like I’m suffocating.” The flames surged within him, and clamped like a hand around his throat.  

“Hell is nothing but a memory. This is real.” Cas’s hands came down to his shoulders, where he had branded Dean’s skin when he pulled him from the pit. “This is real.” He said again, squeezing his fingers around his shoulders.

The gesture for whatever reason silenced the screaming. It erased Alistair’s face. It healed his wounds. And Dean found the fire that remained was no longer a implement of torture but a vessel of power. The noose around his neck was now a gun in his hand, familiar, simple, but deadly. He stared down at his hands and found them alight with fire, but it did not move, it did not spread, not until he lifted his palm and pushed the fire outward. It sprayed across the field faster than light, leaving a burnt trail in its wake.

He turned back to find Cas smiling, a rare occurrence, especially these days. It sent Dean over the edge. A moment later he had the angel on his back in the middle of the field, his hips locked under his own, and his lips clamped around the smaller man’s. “How did you do that?” He wanted to know.

“I didn’t. You did.” Cas reached up and touched Dean’s chest. “Love, Dean, passion, desire, all workings of the heart where the fire within you originates. They will help you unlock your power.” He raised up a little and started to kiss Dean again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert really smutty sex scene here* hehe. So yes, Destiel this chapter. Sabriel will *start* to come around in the next chapter, Gabriel may or may not be back just yet, stay tuned.


	5. The earth beneath me will swallow me

Earth. It’s sandy, rocky, but full of life. Life that blooms in shades of green. Sam loves the forest after a fresh rain, when all that green is saturated, and the smell so fresh and overpowering, and the ground literally sticks to his shoes as he walks. Moments like this he feels as though the moist earth and wet leaves are a part of himself, and with the awakening of his newfound power they are physically apart of himself.

The earth is within him now, radiating from every crevice of his body. He can feel sheer power that pulsates just under his skin, and erupts from his flesh in a mix of rock, dirt, and leaves. It’s not unlike the demon blood in stamina, but it feels differently, it’s warm and…natural. He finds as he gains more control that he can mold himself to the ground and become apart of it, and that it bends to his will. He can force the ground to open and swallow all manner of physical matter whole. And it terrifies him. Terrifies him how easy it is, how easily manipulated, how easily changed by his will. The will that has been broken time and again.

The wounds go deep, and they pus and fester in the depths of his soul. Marked. Forever marked. From the moment Azazel bled into his mouth he has been marked by darkness, by evil. He can feel it, as he grows stronger the darkness grows stronger. It’s already beginning to take hold.

Using his powers is physically and mentally draining, and Sam finds he needs to sit down. The dirt is warm beneath his body, and he runs his fingers through the soft grains. The world is hazy and moving in front of his face, it bothers him at first, but soon empty blackness dulls his senses and forces him into unconsciousness.

He awakes on Bobby’s musty old couch, his head pounding from not being properly elevated and his mouth full of cotton. Surprisingly enough Adam is the sibling asleep in the chair beside him, chin against his chest, shotgun folded under his arm. He was expecting Dean or Jamie. With a short groan he sits up and rubs his eyes. His baby brother wakes, startled slightly and looks over. “You okay?” His voice is lower than Sam remembers, laced with exhaustion and booze, the way Dean’s usually is late at night after watch. Figures that the kid has Jamie’s eyes and Dean’s mannerisms, but at least he got his brains, him thinks with a small smirk.

“Yeah. How long was I out?” He swings his lean legs over the couch and sits up properly, rubbing his eyes to clear out the last of the haziness.

“Couple hours. Dean thought you were dead.” There is a slight bit of amusement in Adam’s voice and Sam huffs a note of amusement as well. “He and Jamie are outside; don’t ask me what they’re doing out there. It’s only twenty degrees.”

“Well you can have the couch, I’m done with it.” He pats the younger man’s arm as he gets up and crosses over to the kitchen, smirking when he hears Adam’s body hit the cushions just before he heads out the door.

Dean and Jamie are lying on the hood of the Impala, staring up at the starless night sky. There’s an old blanket thrown over their laps, and Sam has to stop and take in the sight. His sister is curled up close to Dean, her head resting on their brother’s chest. Dean has an arm thrown over her, the other tucked behind his head. He smiles to see his siblings so relaxed, and decides not to disturb them.

He quietly strolls through the rows of broken down cars with his hands shoved in his pockets. A figure moves in the shadows and it startles him. “Whose there?” He calls, one hand groping for the gun hidden in his waistband.

“Hello Sammy.” The figure grows closer and he backs up, growing his gun, only to lower it in shock as the archangel Gabriel, the deceased archangel Gabriel, strolls casually up to him with a grin plastered on his sharp features. “Miss me?” He questions, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

“You’re dead.” He blurts out, trying to remain calm though his hands tremble. He would never admit it, not to Jamie, and certainly not to Dean, but he has felt guilty ever since Gabriel sacrificed his life to Lucifer to save theirs. They dragged the renegade archangel, who was content to stand on the sidelines and watch, into this. They got him killed. It was just another death on their hands and yet it was different. It hit Sam below the belt. He didn’t have words for the angel; he could only stand there staring.

Gabriel chuckled mercilessly, a chocolate bar materializing into his hand. “You seem spooked Sam, anything wrong?” He took a large bite of the brown candy as though he expected Sam to answer. After a few seconds he relented just a little. “The answer to your first question is God did it. The answer to your second question is I have no friggin idea.”

Sam shifted from one foot to the other, and then collapsed unto his knees, grabbing Gabriel’s jacket and bursting into tears. “I’m so sorry Gabriel.” He whispered to the bewildered angel. “You died because of me. It was my fault. It’s always been my fault.”

“Uh, Sam…”Gabriel blinked in confusion several times before gently patting the hunter’s shoulder. “Sam…I’m alive, I’m back, it’s okay.”

Sam shook his head, sniffing and rubbing his face with the back of his hand. “It’s not okay. The rings gave us power and all I can feel is darkness. It’s inside me. Evil is inside me, and it’s growing stronger everyday. I don’t know how to stop it, or how to control it. I’m so afraid I’m going to hurt someone, again.” He confessed, the tears still flowing freely as he tightened his grip on Gabriel’s jacket.

“The horsemen’s rings?” Sam nodded in confirmation. Gabriel knelt down slowly and stared into Sam’s eyes for a moment. “Sammy…those rings, this power, this was meant for you. It’s not good, but it’s not evil either, it simply is. For good or for evil you will be the one to decide.” He brushed away fresh tears with his thumb. “Darkness may be inside you, Sammich, but it doesn’t control you. You control you.”

The hunter sniffed and looked up at him. “Are you sure?” He asked hoarsely.

“Of course.” The archangel grabbed Sam’s neck and pulled him into an awkward hug. "So earth, right?"

“Mmmhmm.” Sam muttered into his neck, relishing in the feeling of the moist skin at Gabriel’s nap.

“Not surprised. Earth is the body, the cradle of the elements. You’re the one who keeps your siblings grounded.”

He thought about that for a few minutes. It was true, he decided, Dean and Jamie, especially Dean were always kept in check by his actions. More than he wanted to admit. His twisted view of morality while drinking demon blood had been what cemented Dean’s desire to do what’s right. “The body is also easily corrupted.” His voice was laced with guilt.

“You’re not as easily corrupted as you think.” Gabriel pulled back and put his hand firmly on Sam’s check. “What you did, the demon blood, you were lost and starved for revenge.”

“I was weak.”

“You were human. And you recognize your faults, you’re remorseful. If you want forgiveness it has to come from inside yourself, before it comes from anyone else. But truly, they’ve already forgiven you, not you have to forgive yourself, Sam.” The smaller man leaned back into him. “You always were my favorite.” He said after a moment, earning a laugh from the taller man. “Didn’t think you cared so much, though. Especially since I did kinda gank your big brother.”

"I think you dying by your brother's hand makes us even."

“Oh does it?”

“Yeah. Gabriel I…” Sam pulled away and looked at the former Trickster with pleading eyes. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I’ve always felt this weird…connection when I looked at you. Like I could bare my soul for you.”

Gabriel laughed, moving Sam’s hair off his face and pressing his forehead against his. “Of course you can, Sammich. I’m not leaving you again. I’m here to stay.”

“Are you going to grip me tight and raised me from perdition?” The hunter whispered.

Gabriel smirked, pulling back and staring up into Sam’s brilliant green eyes yet again. “I think that’s our brothers bag, don’t you? No, I’m gonna grip you tight and keep you for myself.”

Sam stared down at the angel and relished at the feeling of calmness that washed over him. The darkness that had entrapped him seemed to melt away, and the light radiating off Gabriel penetrated his flesh. He never thought he’d love again, after Jess, never thought he could feel that light around his heart again. But it was here. It was in Gabriel, it was Gabriel. His angel. His own. And as he leaned forward to take the archangel’s lips in his own, he could feel the earth beneath their feet, and it felt as natural as his own body, just as Gabriel’s lips felt like an extension of himself.  


	6. The air above me will suffocate me

Jamie crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway as she watched her older brothers. Dean and Cas were leaning against the Impala, beer bottles in their hands and Dean’s neck bent low, chin on his chest so that Cas could whisper into his ear. Sam and Gabriel were sitting on an old blanket not far from them, a picnic basket of all things between them, both snaking on whatever the archangel had conjured. She frowned slightly, turning to go back into the house.

“Jamie! Come join us!” Gabriel called across the driveway.

Just as she was about to respond a soft voice from inside called to her. “Jamie…” She whirled around to find Adam standing in a puddle, soaking wet from head to toe. “It happened again.” Her younger brother had a hard time learning to control his new power; even conjuring just a few drops could easily leave him drenched. Each sibling had a trigger: for Dean it was pain, for Sam it was fear, for Jamie it was anger, but Adam had yet to find the emotion that triggered his power and as a result his power was the most out of control. “I’m all out of dry clothes.” He moaned pitifully.

“Alright…stand back, let me try something.” Adam obediently took a few steps backward. Jamie held her hand up, feeling the air around her. She steadied her stance, willing the air to conjure in her palm. Swirls of white wisps swirled from her hand. Slowly she began to move her hand, settling it in front of Adam. Narrowing her eyes she focused the air over him and then released it. The blast streamed over him and Adam yelped, covering his eyes. After a moment he lowered his hands and found that he was completely dry. “There.”

Her baby brother’s eyes widened in amazement. “Wow, you have a lot of control over that.”

His sister shrugged almost sheepishly. “It’s really not much different from telekinesis, it moves a little differently, it’s a little harder to control, but it’s basically the same. Plus, you’re the only one I can do something like that on. If I tried it on Sam, I’d probably kill him. If I tried it on Dean, I’d probably kill myself. You and I are neutral.” She walked out unto the porch and sat on the steps.

Adam joined her a moment later. “For me it’s the opposite, right? Strengthened by Dean, weakened by Sam.” Jamie nodded. “It’s weird. Water is supposed to be steady, and unwavering, but I’m not. Maybe that’s why I can’t control it.” He looked towards the hunter and frowned.

Jamie put her hand on his shoulder and held her hand out. “Air is free; it’s always moving, always changing, never in the same place.” She seemed to ‘catch’ the air, white wisps again streaming around her hand, which she brought to her lips and blew, causing them to scatter. “I used to be like that, when my fiancé was alive we never put down roots. We lived on the road, never stayed in one place for long. But then Dean made his deal, and I wanted to keep running. I believed if I ran long enough, stayed away, it wouldn’t hurt as much. I was wrong. AJ knew I was wrong. We got an apartment, he proposed, and then he died. But it didn’t…I wasn’t, I’m not like that anymore. I have ties now, a family, a responsibility, I belong somewhere. It’s why I can reign the air in, why I can manipulate it, because I’m not free. And you, Adam, you’re not steady, so you can throw water off balance.” He looked thoughtful at this, and she smiled at him.

The smile however quickly turned to a look of horror. Something new had just arrived, and it sent a psychic jolt through the young prophetess. “Adam!” She yelled grabbed the blonde boy by his shirt and throwing him down the last step, behind her as she whirled around. “Get back.” She hissed. Castiel and Gabriel were already on their feet, also aware of the new presence. They teleported to Jamie’s side, while Dean and Sam rushed for their younger siblings. “Raphael.” Jamie sneered as the dark angel stepped out of the shadows. Castiel and Gabriel stepped in front of her, and Dean pulled her to his side. He and Sam wedged Adam protectively between them.

“What are you doing here?” Gabriel snapped, his voice low and threatening.

“Hello Gabriel. I’ve come to have words with the Prophetess.” Raphael replied, his gaze still focused on the girl. Jamie curled her upper lip into a snarl, the wind beginning to pick up around her. At her side Dean’s temperature spiked suddenly, hands threatening to ignite, while Sam also grew warm, his skin thickening. Adam had turned cold, and water began to build around him. At the display Raphael’s eyes grew wide, and fury was evident on his face. “What is this? They have the rings?” He demanded, looking from Castiel to Gabriel.

“Michael’s services are no longer required.” Cas said evenly, his pointed gaze locked on Raphael, angel blade drawn and ready.

“Get out of here, Raphael.” Gabriel ordered. “Now.” He drew his angel blade, holding it threatening close to the taller archangel’s neck.

Raphael, however, would not back down so easily. Too quick for human eyes to detect he drew his own blade, clashing it with Gabriel’s. Incensed, the messenger archangel fought back. Cas moved to help him, but was blindsided by a follower of the Raphael’s.

“Cas!” Dean leapt forward to protect his angel, landing in a protective crouch. Fire streamed forth from his hands, igniting the angel who had attack his lover and sending him screaming back to Heaven. In an instant however, three more angels appeared. Two of them ripped at Dean’s arms, securing them behind his back, while the third pressed his sword into the neck of the righteous man.  

“Ugh!” Sam slammed his fist into the ground, causing it to quake and fissure, the momentum directed towards Raphael. The archangel was thrown off balance long enough for Gabriel to strike him down.

Raphael, however, blinked out and appeared behind Sam. “Sammy, duck!” Sam hit the ground. Jamie reared back and shot her hands outward, causing a harsh blast of wind to rip into Raphael. Gabriel caught his brother by the throat, angel blade pressed against his jugular. As he whirled around however he saw two more angels restraining Sam, another had Adam by the throat, and four more had walled Jamie, their blades all poised at her throat. “Sam!” Momentarily distracted by the entrapment of his mate and the rest of the Winchesters, Gabriel dropped his guard enough for Raphael to reverse the grip.

“You will not harm the prophetess, or the righteous man.” Cas hissed, despite having an angel blade held on his chest. “Or Lucifer’s vessel.”

“You’re correct.” Raphael chuckled darkly. “But we will kill the spare.” He gestured in Adam’s direction. Dean immediately began struggling, his horrified gaze locked on to his youngest brother.

“No!” Jamie screamed as the angel who held Adam raised his sword, the tip directed to his chest. “No! I’ll go, I’ll go!” She turned to Raphael. “Just let my brothers, and Cas and Gabriel go.”

“Jamie, no!” Sam protested, Dean and Adam vocalizing their agreement.

“Stop.” Jamie shook her head. “My fiancé died because of me. I’ll be damned if I let my brothers share his fate.” She told them firmly. A second later, Raphael and his angels disappeared with her.

Jamie glanced around quickly and found herself standing in the green room. She winced at the paintings of the Apocalypse and Final Judgment that adorned the walls, cursing herself for not noticing them a year ago, when she and Dean had been trapped here by Zachariah to prevent them from interfering with Sam releasing Lucifer. This was also the room where Adam was taken from them, after Dean killed Zachariah. She half expected Adam and Sam’s blood to still be on the carpet, a reminder of the torture the head angel had inflicted to force Dean to say yes.

“Beautiful, isn’t it.” A swift kick to her back sent her sprawling to the floor. With a groan she rolled unto her side, looking up to see Raphael standing over her. “You pathetic, disobedient, wretched, BITCH!” Raphael closed his fist and turned it, causing Jamie to cry out as her stomach seemed ripped from her abdominal wall. She coughed and blood spurted from her mouth. “What gives you the right to interfere with our plans, to change destiny? Hmm? And we’re suppose to protect you, when you’re no better, when you’ve fallen as Lucifer fell?” He wretched his fist again and Jamie vomited blood unto the floor. “You are nothing.” He spat. She whimpers, something hard clanks against her chest. She reaches up and feels it. Her St. Michael’s medal.

“Illa vox clamantis in deserto!” A new voice sounded through the room which filled with a blinding white light. Jamie felt herself instantly grow stronger as it moved over her. “Te subvertet me Raphael.” She gets to her feet as a black haired man in a dark utility jacket appears in front of Raphael. He places his hand on the archangel’s chest, and flames fill the eyes and mouth of the meatsuit. The vessel burns before Jamie’s eyes, leaving only a charred mark on the carpet. The light dissipates, seemingly sucked into the eyes and mouth of the man, who turns to look at her.

Jamie steps back in shock, her eyes widening. The vessel looks exactly like a younger version of her father. “Domini mei Michael?” She asks softly, the medal still in her grasp. “Why are you wearing my father?”

“I’m not. This is the vessel that our Father has formed for me.” His voice is lower than her father’s. He takes a step towards her and she recoils. “Do not be afraid, prophetess, I am not here to harm you.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe that, my lord.” Michael smirked and snapped his fingers. They instantly appeared on a sandy beach by the ocean. Jamie gasps a little, feeling the sand beneath her feet, the wind in her hair, and the smell of ocean water coming off the waves. “Where are we?” She looked down and revealed she was barefoot and clothed only in a long, loose fitting black dress.

“Does it matter?” Michael took a seat in one of two chairs set up in front of a small fire. “Sit.” He motioned to the other chair. Jamie obediently sat down. “It appears my father has changed his mind about your brothers.”

“What do you mean, my lord?” She asked softly.

“I mean, the Apocalypse is not to take place afterall. Dean and Sam Winchester are no longer vessels. Of course, Lucifer doesn’t know that.”

“So you’re going to stop us?” Michael shook his head. “Then why…”

“You’re still the Voice, Jamie. Until Father shows me otherwise I am still bound to you and you to me.”

“How do I know this isn’t a trick?”

Michael smirked and got up, going over to her. He knelt down beside her chair and she curled up, protectively. His eyes wondered over her body, and she felt them on her. Finally he reached out and cupped her cheek. “I heard you, every night. You prayed to me so devoutly, night after night after night. Why do you think that is?”

She shook her head, moving her face from his grasp. “Because I was raised a Catholic, and you’re the patron saint of hunters. I didn’t know any better.”

“I protected you.”

“By sending other men to die for me. My mother, my father, AJ, my brothers, and the people I tried to save. You put them in harms way to save me. I wasn’t worth all those lives.”

“You are to me.” He said softly. She couldn’t look at him, those green eyes have haunted her ever since she, Dean, and Sam got back from the past. “You’re bound to me, Jamie. That’s why you prayed to me, that’s why you’re wearing that necklace, that’s why you’re so close to Dean. You understand me.” A tear fell down her cheek, and she squeezed her eyes shut as Michael raised up and bent over her. He smelled like a hunter: motor oil, bullet residue, leather. “You’re my prophetess, and you always will be.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips and she found herself kissing back.

When she opened her eyes she was standing in the exact same place she had been when Raphael took her away. Adam, Sam, and Dean rushed to hug her and she hugged them back, assuring them that she was okay. Sam’s arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders, Dean’s rested around her waist, and Adam’s hand slipped into her own. Across the yard Michael stood, with Gabriel on one side and Castiel on the other, the three angels speaking quietly in Enochian. Michael’s head came up and his eyes found her. She stared back at him and the look that past between them was not lost on either sets of their brothers.       


	7. The water around me will drown me

God knows Adam has never felt like he belonged. Not in his small town, not in his school, not even when he moved away and started college. Sure, people knew him. They knew his middle name, his grades, his desire to be a physician, but they did not know him. He loved his mother more than anything, but she was a ghost. Too often he remembers the times she wasn’t there, rather than the times she was. Only when his father visited, those few meager days that he will forever keep close to his heart, did he feel like he belonged somewhere.

He stares at the crumbled picture he’s found at the bottom of his sister’s backpack. It’s of her, and John, and Dean, and Sam. They’re all bloody and torn up, their faces grave, but the pain and despair and weight of the world that Adam sees in every moment isn’t there. He doesn’t know the date, but he figures it must have been several years ago. Sam looks young, and the darkness in his eyes isn’t there. Dean doesn’t carry hell. Jamie isn’t so sullen and withdrawn. He wonders what his siblings were like in those days, when they were something close to happy. Before God and angels and demons and the Devil tightened nooses around their necks.

And the thought makes him feel robbed. He loves his siblings, he won’t deny it, but he knows that the siblings he knows are not the men and the woman they were supposed to be. They’re harder, colder, more reserved, and locked away. They’ve lost too much, been through too much, and it still keeps coming. They’ve saved the world again, and again, and it still needs to be saved. No rest for the wicked, no rest for the Winchesters. Dean is the one who’s been through hell, who carries hell in his heart and his memories, scared and maimed by it, and vicious, cruel, and unforgiving because of it. Sam is marked by evil, his soul burned, and his spirit withered with guilt and despair, the only driving force in his life is the need for penance, the unrequenched thirst for forgiveness for a sin unforgiveable. And Jamie, whose died a thousand times in watching every single person she’s ever loved die in front of her. Dean will die for his family, Sam will die for his sins, but Jamie would rather die just to die and escape the immortal circle that has been bestowed on her morality for the sake of her precious gift of prophecy.

And where does that leave him? Him, Adam Milligan who should have been Adam Winchester. Who should have been taught how to fire a double barrel, and hotwire a car instead of how to throw a baseball, and balance chemistry reactions. Who should have laid down salt lines instead of playing with matchbox cars, and killed a werewolf instead of staying up all night at a frat party. He’s been lied to, and it doesn’t sit well with him.

“Adam.” It’s Dean who calls to him from behind the door. “Adam, awake up.” He assumes his baby brother is asleep, and Adam isn’t sure how to take the fact that his big brother thinks he could possibly sleep at a time like this. “Adam!”

It’s the third time Dean calls his name that the youngest finally gets up and pulls the door open. Dean is dressed, jacket on and shotgun over one shoulder, ready to go, ready to hunt, ready for anything and everything. His oldest brother is always ready, or at least he tries damn hard to convince everyone that he is. He roughly thrusts Adam his navy blue utility jacket, because Adam only has the clothes on his back, without a word, only a nod to follow him. Adam grabs the gun Sam has given him from its place on the nightstand before following Dean down the stairs.

Downstairs Sam slides his dark brown coat over his broad shoulders and picks up a knapsack from the floor, slinging over one shoulder. Jamie walks in from the kitchen wearing her black leather jacket and a similar knapsack. Her hair is pulled back in a French braid, which strikes Adam as odd, having grown accustom to seeing his sister with her hair down. He catches sight of her hunting knife secured against her hip. Sam grabs what looks suspiciously like fishing rods from a nearby wall. “What’s going on?” He fails to hide the confusion in his voice.

Jamie is the first to answer. She’s grinning ear to ear, and it makes her sapphire eyes sparkle. “We’re going camping.” She announces.

“Why can’t Gabriel just turn the car into a four star hotel?” Adam grumbles as he sits down on the log bench beside Sam, whose cooking the fish he and Dean caught earlier over the open fire.

Sam chuckles at Adam’s complaint, meticulously turning over each fish to evenly brown its skin. “Come on, little brother. This is fun.” He sent him a geninue smile and Adam couldn’t help but notice that his big brother looked just a little bit less on edge.  

Still, the youngest stubbornly replies “Not to me.” He looks from the fire over to where the angels and Dean are gathered. They’re standing just on the edge of the clearing, where the trees start to move closer together. Castiel is dressed differently for once, in jeans and one of Dean’s flannel shirts, and Sam’s tan colored jacket that’s obviously too big. After a moment he slides his hand into Dean’s and Dean squeezes. Adam almost looks away.  

He blinks and realizes there’s another angel with them that he failed to notice before. The inhabited vessel is a young male with dark hair and a slight stature. He’s leaning closest to Michael, his shoulders hunched and his arms crossed. Quietly Adam gets up and walks over to the tree that Jamie is standing against just a few yards from the group. Her arms are also crossed, and she appears to be watching intently. “Who’s that?” He tries to sound casual, but his eyes drift curiously to his sister, waiting for an answer. “The new angel.” He adds and then feels stupid; of course Jamie is going to know who he means.

“Samandriel.” She answers, her expression remains intense and she doesn’t look at him when she speaks. “He’s one of Heaven’s youngest angels. There’s trouble up there, supporters of Raphael are falling into disobedience. Michael and Gabriel are worried they might join Lucifer.”

“How can they disobey Michael? Isn’t he like their general or something?”

“Michael is prince of hosts and general of the armies of heaven. All garrisons, all legions are under his control, but Raphael’s supporters are questioning Michael’s judgment. They’ve christened me the Whore of Babylon and are trying to convince others that I’ve lead Michael astray.”

“I thought you killed the Whore?”

“We did.” There’s a tone in Jamie’s voice that makes Adam think she doesn’t want to talk about the incident that occurred just a day or so before he was resurrected. Sam has told him that the Whore was a sort of mortal enemy for Jamie, as the prophetess, but he failed to elaborate. Still, the youngest knew better then to press Jamie or Dean for information.

So Adam sulked off, away from camp, but not before Sam yelled at him to not wander far. He was sure Sam had said it loud enough that Dean and the angels heard it, and he could just imagine the looks on all their faces, especially Dean’s. He despises the way his siblings treat him as though he’s a child, and they each do it differently, adding to his frustration. Dean is blatantly honest, he doesn’t coddle him, makes it known that as the youngest it’s his job to stay out of the way and not get killed. Too young to be trusted, too young to be a ‘real’ hunter, or maybe just too inexperienced. Jamie, at least, isn’t as cold and terse as Dean. Sam is worse; he veils his opinions with friendly words and a ‘helping’ hand.

The lake water laps the shore with quiet, thin waves as Adam sits down at the edge, and stares into the cool, clear pool at his feet. After a moment he focuses his eyes on the waves, his hands impulsively itching forward, palms up. The waves rise to attention and he makes a circle gesture with his hands, causing the water to spin in tidal wave fashion. It amuses him for a few moments, but he’s quickly bored with the practice. He knows he shouldn’t take his abilities for granted, it took way too long for him to learn to control the water, but he finds himself frustrated.

So, he gets to his feet and takes off his jacket, followed by his shoes and socks. He rolls his jeans up past his ankles and tentatively steps into the water. It’s icy at his flesh, but he ignores the sensation, taking a few more steps. Finally, ankle deep, he heaves a deep breath and concentrates. He feels the water rushing around him, and rushing inside him. It runs in his veins and he melds it to his skin, letting it overtake him. At his feet the waves bubble and he feels himself rise unto the brink. Carefully, he takes a step. He’s surprised by how natural it feels to walk on the water and after a few steps he finds he no longer has to hold his breath and concentrate so hard. He treads across the water as though it’s solid ground, relishing in the feeling of power that washes over him.

“Adam!” Michael’s sudden call startles him and his concentration breaks. He falls through the water, which turns violent and loud, his head disappearing under crashing waves. He heaves a breath out of shock and water fills his lungs. The world darkens immediately. Strong arms suddenly wrap around him, pulling him to the surface, heaving him unto solid ground. He coughs and sputters, unable to breathe and until warm fingers press against his forehead. Blinking he stares up into Michael’s concerned green eyes. “Are you alright?”

He takes a breath that doesn’t hurt and nods. Michael helps him to his feet and throws his arm around his shoulders. “I did not mean to startle you. Dean and Jamie sent me to get you.” He explains softly. Another touch and Adam finds that his clothes are dry. “What were you doing?”

“Practicing.” He mumbles. “Obviously I need it.”

Michael’s eyes search his face in confusion. “But you’ve mastered your ability very well.”

Adam chuckles humorlessly. “Dean set fire to a whole damn forest. Sam can turn himself until solid rock. And Jamie can frickin fly. What can I do except make a little tidal wave? And it’s hard if not nearly impossible for me to control water if I conjure it. I end up all wet.”

Michael’s expression did not change. “You are not your siblings.” He said simply. “Their triumphs are not your triumphs, and their failings are not your failings. And they have their failings. Jamie has plummeted from the sky on multiple occasions. Sam has trouble reverting back from his rock state. And Dean, well, Dean has burned himself more times than even angels can keep tract of.”

“That really doesn’t make me feel better.” Adam remarked, sitting down on a rock. Michael frowned and sat beside him.

“What is really troubling you?”

He sighed and looked away. “Nothing.”

“You feel unimportant, why? You’ve very much necessary.”

“Not unimportant so much as unappreciated. And…I don’t know.”

“You don’t feel like your siblings love you?”

Adam looked up and narrowed his eyes. “Stop reading my mind, angel.” It sounded harsher then he wanted it to, but Michael didn’t seem fazed. “They treat me like I’m a child, and worse they don’t treat me like I’m their brother. Even Sam is all fake, it’s just nice words and smiles.”

“Your siblings are trying to cope with a very serious event. There has been a lot thrown at all of you, and you all are responding differently. Dean is very emotionally closed off. Sam is racked with guilt. Jamie has lost so much.”

“This isn’t exactly easy for me either! It’s like my entire life was a lie.”

“Your life was not a lie, Adam.” Michael replied firmly. “It was different, yes, but you were given the tools necessary to make you who are today. To prepare you for this life, for this destiny.” Adam scoffed in response, but the archangel wasn’t deterred. “And give your siblings a chance. It’s difficult to bond with someone new.”

“They all seem pretty cozy with you angels.” Adam spat.

Michael sighed, actually sighed. “That is because each of ‘us angels’ were made for them. Our grace is one with their souls.”

“Whatever. So where is my special angel gracemate?”

Before the archangel could answer Samandriel appeared. “My lord Michael.” He said humbly. “Jamie Winchester requests to know what is keeping you and Adam Milligan.”

“Adam Winchester.” Michael and Adam corrected at the same time, though Adam found he could not take his eyes off the vessel in front of him. Those eyes were breath-taking, as clear and calm and blue as the ocean on a summer’s day. Michael cleared his throat. “Adam, this is Samandriel. Samandriel, Adam _Winchester_.”

Samandriel’s eyes came to focus on Adam, and the youngest sibling almost faltered at the gaze. Beautiful.  


	8. Calm before the storm

 

“I am the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition!”

At least, that’s what Samandriel thought Castiel was yelling in his true angelic voice between the pornographic moans of pleasure that erupted from Dean’s tent just across from where he and Adam were laying beside the fire. The sound barrier that Michael and Gabriel had put around the tents did not block out the angelic voices not distinguishable to human ears, and Samandriel could hear every word. From the sultry, dirty one-liners that Gabriel hissed so earnestly into Sam’s ear, to Michael’s whispers of love, devotion, and worship as he lay with Jamie, and the rather animalistic abate passionate sounds that Dean was getting out of Castiel, Samandriel heard it all while Adam slept on, oblivious.

Finally the noises ceased and the angels took their silent guard beside their mates as the hunters all drifted to sleep: Jamie first, Sam next, and Dean last as always. When the night had slipped into stillness Adam awoke, drenched in sweat and eyes wide with terror, his voice calling for his long-dead mother. The youngest angel immediately moved to his side with the irrational thought he had been hurt, only to have the youngest Winchester throw his arms around the angel’s neck. Adam proceeded to break down into uneven sobs while Samandriel’s eyes widened in shock.

The youngest angel had never been so happy to see all three of his big brothers emerge from their tents with looks of concern. Castiel was still hitching his jeans up around his hips, his dark hair mussed and sticking out wildly in all directions. At his side Dean was already mostly dressed, sans his shoes and collared shirt, but he had his gun draw, his bright green eyes searching cautiously for the source of his brother’s cries. Sam ran his hand through his hair, smoothing it back as he worked his other arm into his green and blue plaid shirt, while Gabriel tried to look menacing and put his shirt on at the same time. Michael stood straight and guarded, dressed only in jeans, his fingers curled around his angel blade. Jamie was at his side, her arms around the hand that did not grasp the blade, her blonde hair loose and limp at her shoulders clothed in her black canvas jacket, the wind wrapping her black slip around her body like wings, and her lips parted slightly in worry. “

What happened Samandriel?” Michael finally asked, once they had all realized there was no physical threat.

“He had a night terror.” The young angel replied, his arms coming up to hold the frightened boy.

Dean shoved his gun back into his waistband and hurried to his youngest brother’s side, Sam and Jamie not far behind him. Michael and Gabriel grabbed unto their baby brother’s arms and pulled him back, away from the Winchesters. Dean held Adam tightly, his grip safe and secure, while Sam hovered protectively beside him. Jamie cupped her brother’s face in her hands, pressing his head against her chest, her own head under Dean’s chin. They held him like that for a long time until Adam restlessly shrugged them away.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jamie asked softly, cocking her head to the side as she set her sapphire eyes on her baby brother. They followed the subtle movements of rejection that Adam displayed, making it clear to his sister he did not wish to speak of the dream that had foiled his attempt at sleep. Dean huffed and got to his feet, making a slight gesture with his hand towards Castiel. The fallen angel followed quickly after his hunter back to their tent. He went inside but Dean lingered just a while longer, watching Sam and Jamie restlessly. Sam ran a large, rough hand through Adam’s hair, tussling the blonde locks lovingly before getting up and making a similar gesture to his own angel. Dean’s eyes followed Sam and Gabriel to their tent and then snapped back to where Jamie had risen, Michael already leaving his perch beside Samandriel to follow her back into their tent. With both siblings accounted for the eldest Winchester cast another glance at Adam before finally disappearing into the comfort of his own tent.

Samandriel approached Adam with apprehension, not entirely sure how to deal with a human who had just come out of a fragile state and now refused to be treated with any sort of sympathetic affection. Cautiously he took his abandoned seat by Adam’s side, but the youngest hunter wasn’t paying the slightest attention to the angel. Instead, Adam’s eyes were glued to the sparks of amber within the fire pit, and the smoke that rose from the charred wood beneath. It took Samandriel a moment, as he followed Adam’s gaze from wood to spark to smoke, but he realized what had caught the young man’s attention. Silently the young angel picked up the rusty metal bucket that rested just out of the grasp of the flames and let a splash of water spill forth from its brim. The droplets hit the amber sparks and the wood hissed, more smoke rising and dancing into the wind. It almost masked the short, low ‘Thank you’ that rolled from Adam’s lips before he laid back down and found sleep once again.

“What are they doing?” Adam got a beer out of the cooler and sat down on the ratty blue sleeping bag Jade had spread out beside the fire. Samandriel was sitting beside him, watching as bith sets of their brothers-that is Dean and Sam and Michael and Gabriel- argued colorfully back and forth. Jamie and Castiel were standing a few steps away, both looking amused and yet horrified at the same time.

“They’re betting on which couple gets pregnant first.” Samandriel answered as if it were the most casual topic of conversation in the world. “Gabriel is insistent that Castiel is already pregnant, and Sam backs him. Meanwhile Michael is boasting that his virility is far superior to Dean’s and therefore he and Jamie will be the first to have a child. Dean, however, is attempting to both defend his so called manhood and Castiel’s honor by neither asserting nor denying his mate’s possible pregnancy.”

Adam’s mouth gapped open slightly. “Um…okay…why are they thinking about pregnancy this close to battle with Lucifer, I mean it’s already dangerous, why risk it?” Samandriel let something akin to a smirk light across his face for a moment. “A nephilim would only increase the strength of its parent, this early into a pregnancy when it’s grace is now and raw and the parent’s body not yet keenly aware of its presence.”

“So…stupid question but-“

“How does it work?” Samandriel smiled at Adam, giving the boy his full attention now. Adam blushed but it seemed not to both the young angel. “With Michael and Jamie it is of course obvious that Jamie will carry their offspring, not because Michael is incapable of becoming pregnant, but because Jamie is incapable of impregnating him. Castiel, however is incapable of impregnating Dean, therefore their offspring will be born of him.”

“Oh. Why can’t Cas get Dean pregnant?”

Samandriel’s eyes were sad. “Because Dean has been to hell. Cas remade him, of course, healed his wounds, but a seraphim like Castiel cannot heal the barrenness in Dean’s body, and his soul. When a nephilim is formed it must split its host parent’s grace or soul, and form the other itself, it cannot do both. Dean’s soul cannot be split, it is too damanged. The nephilim will die before it can properly form.”

“Oh, that’s horrible.”

Samandriel nodded gravely.

“Wai


	9. Chapter 9

 

“A rose, Michael?” Jamie moved her blond hair off her shoulder. It fell in springy, thick loops down her back, orange in the weak morning’s sunlight in stark contrast to the black tank top and dark jeans she was wearing. They stood just out of sight of Bobby’s porch, and Michael was on one knee, a dark red rose in his hand. Before her eyes the rose burned and shrunk into the shape of a ring: silver with a twisted and tangled setting that held a deep garnet stone in its center, in the shape of a teardrop. She gasped softly, her blue eyes widening. He slid the ring onto her finger, on the hand opposite of the one that wore Famine’s ring.

“I want you to wear my ring too.” He said, kissing her hand as he got up and gathered her into his arms. “This is my sigil, Jamie. It will protect you, and our son.” His hand slipped down to her flat stomach. “You still want to name him after your brother?”

Jamie smirked. “You have an issue with that?” She leaned into his embrace. “Dean is the most important person in my life. More than my own father. He’s the one whose looked out for us all these years.”

Michael nodded. “I’ve thought of names to go with Dean Winchester. My favorite is Marcus.”

Jamie chuckled, looking up at her archangel. “Somehow I believe that’s because it’s my favorite as well.”

“Castiel and Gabriel favored Luke, but I was always partial to Mark, myself.”

She laughed outloud as the angel drew her in closer to him. “He agrees with you.” She laid her hands over Michael’s, cradling her stomach.

Dean sighed and sat down on the bed, running his hand over Castiel’s naked thigh. “Time to get up, angel?” He asked. Cas’s brilliant blue eyes were solemn for once. His hands were both resting on his belly. “You don’t have to go, not if you don’t want to.”

“Their grace will protect me, as mine protects them.” He replied. Dean leaned forward and kissed his belly, patting it lovingly. “What do you want to name them?”

Dean raised concerned eyes at Cas. “Now? You want to think of this now?” He asked, though his voice was gentle.

“If something happens…” Cas trailed off. “Yes Dean, I want to do this now.”

Dean sighed getting up. He faced away from Cas and pulled on his jeans, fishing into his bag for a clean shirt. “I…I don’t know Cas, what do you like?”

“I like the name Mary Sophia.”

Dean looked up, unsurprised but still touched that he had chosen his mother’s name. “Mary Sophia Winchester, then.”

“I suppose you’d object to naming the boy Dean Jr.”

“I’ve…I’ve always liked the name Noah. Noah Samuel.”

“If you guys are done naming your babies, we the devil to put down.” Sam called, knocking on Dean’s door.

Dean sighed, heavily, holding his hand out to Cas and helping him up. The pair finished dressing and joined their brothers and Jamie downstairs in the study. “Alright, guess it’s time for battle stations.” He muttered.

Adam and Samandriel rose first. Their job was to secure the field where their siblings would face Lucifer. Not that they were expecting Lucifer to bring reinforcements but just in case, especially with the news of Raphael having spread thru heaven. “We’ll meet you guys there.” Adam said over his shoulder as he gripped his lover’s hand.

“Be careful Adam.” Dean, Sam, and Jamie all echoed together. The youngest nodded before he and his angel disappeared.

“Guess it’s time we get Luci, ehh Sam?” Gabriel got up from his chair, strolling over to his lover. “We’ll try to be quick about this.”

Sam took off his ring and tossed it to Dean. “Keep this safe for me, will you?” Dean nodded. Jamie lifted her chin. Her twin met her gaze, and then disappeared with his archangel.

“Well, guess that’s our cue, Cas.” The eldest brother laced his fingers thru the angel’s.

“We’ll be right behind you, Dean.” Michael promised.

“Yeah.” Dean and Cas disappeared and Michael turned to Jamie.

“Now it’s our turn.” Jamie had a faraway look in her eyes. “It worked.” She and Michael disappeared, reappearing in an old graveyard. The prophetess looked around. All three brothers and their angels were accounted for. Sam, Dean, and Adam stood together. Sam quickly slipped his ring back on his finger. Across the field Lucifer appeared.

Michael shoved Jamie in the direction of her brothers and then drew his sword. Lucifer did not look happy to see his older brother, especially when Gabriel joined him at his side, with Cas and Samandriel flanking them on either side. “It doesn’t have to be like this, Luce.” The eldest called.

Lucifer chuckled. “You, of all people, are singing a free will tune? Now that is something I thought I’d never see.”

Dean pulled Jamie to his side. They stood at the ready. “I will charge first.” Dean hissed. “Jamie, you and Cas need to get out if it goes south.” Despite every instinct rebelling against the request his little sister nodded.

“So let’s end this. Let’s walk right off the gameboard. Take our true vessels and then rule this world, together.”

Michael smirked, like he was considering it. “Sorry, Luce. I can’t.”

Lucifer’s face darkened. He pressed his lips into a thin line, and his eyes fell on the Winchesters. He raised an eyebrow when his gaze fell straight unto Jamie. Dean and Sam instinctively moved her behind them, but the Devil already had what he needed. “A child, Michael? You? Of all of us, you have created what Dad deemed forbidden?” He almost laughed. “I see now. I had pegged this to be about Castiel’s bastards, but it’s not is it? It’s about your son.”

Jamie sucked her breath in sharply, her hand instinctively falling to her stomach. Dean reached behind and put his hand over her own. She reached out and grasped his arm. A look passed between the eldest brother and his little sister.

“My son is none of your concern.” Michael hissed. “Either surrender to us Lucifer, or die.”

Lucifer laughed. “To you, Michael?” His face darkened. “Never.” He pulled out his own blade.

“So be it.” The prince of hosts rushed forward, his blade sung as it clashed against the devil’s.

“Now Dean!” Jamie let go of her brother and Dean rushed forward, fire engulfed his palms and it’s flames set on Lucifer. It streamed forth and engulfed Lucifer who howled and fell back.

“What’s this?” The devil asked as he shook off the tongues of flame from his body.

Suddenly an army of demons appeared. Rallying to their father they rushed for the Winchesters. “Gabriel!” Sam yelled, and the messenger Arch angel rushed forward to take out the first wave.

The demons had cut off Dean, Michael, Castiel, and Adam, who had rushed after Dean, from their brothers and Jamie. “Come on Adam, we can face him together. Sam and Jamie will join us.” Dean encouraged the youngest before sending another lick of flame to Lucifer, who this time was ready for it and deflected it, right into Castiel. “No!”

Lucifer laughed to see the eldest Winchester drop his guard and rush for his lover. His laughter was soon cut off by Adam sending a ball of icy water into his back. It stabbed like a blade, icy and thick and Lucifer gasped a little as he pulled it from his back, his angry gaze turning on the youngest Winchester. He used his telekinesis to send Adam sprawling hard into a headstone.

“Adam!” Samandriel yelled from the hoard. Gabriel’s head came up and he threw his hand out, clearing a path for his younger brother to rush to his lover.

“Jamie, down!” Jamie crotched low as Sam rushed her, using his sister to push himself off into an incoming group of demons. Once upon them he turned to rock, using the power of his body to trap and crush them.

“What have I always told you about turning your back on me, Lucifer?” Michael sliced his brother across the back and Lucifer turned, his teeth clenched. He yelled and bore himself into Michael. The two angels rolled across the ground, beating at each other with sword and fist.

“Dean, here!” Sam threw Ruby’s knife to his brother who stabbed the attacking demon in the stomach. He threw it behind his back to Adam who whirled around and sliced the throat of the demon who held Samandriel in a vicious body lock.  
“Are you okay?” Adam asked, limping over to his lover.

“I’ll live.” Samandriel replied, looping an arm over Adam’s shoulders. Adam closed his eyes and looked away as Gabriel exorcized the remaining demons.

Sam helped Jamie up from the ground as Gabriel walked over, Castiel in his arms. “Is he okay?” Sam asked as Gabriel knelt down. Jamie gripped the hand of her brother’s angel and he opened his eyes.

“He’s hurt, but it’s not serious.” Gabriel said.

“Where’s Dean?”

“Here.” Dean walked forward, wiping blood off his face with the sleeve of his jacket. “Bastards kept coming. I lost sight of Michael and Lucifer.”

Jamie looked up. Her eyes roamed the skies and then the Earth. She got to her feet, looking around. “You’d think we’d hear them.”

“They’re probably battling on dual planes.” Gabriel looked around as well. “There, you feel that?” The archangel pointed out something in the distance.

Jamie nodded. “I do. Or rather my baby does.”

Gabriel healed Castiel, and then Adam and Samandriel. “Samandriel take Cas and go home. We’ve got this.” Dean ordered. Samandriel nodded, taking the still unconscious angel and disappearing.

“Incoming!” Jamie ordered. Michael and Lucifer became corporeal, the bodies of their vessels slamming into the earth near the Winchesters.

“Now!” Michael ordered, his grip on Lucifer as both fallen and risen Archangels got to their feet. Jamie grabbed Dean’s hand and Sam’s, and Sam reached over and put a hand on Adam’s shoulder. The rings glowed and a beam of light shot forward just as Michael whirled Lucifer’s around. The beam hit the devil in the heart and Michael threw him, trashing and screaming, to the ground.

As Michael turned to look at Jamie Lucifer, his skin black and turning to ash pulled himself to his feet. “Michael!” Jamie yelled. Michael looked over his shoulder just as Lucifer stabbed his blade into his back. Michael gasped for breath, yellow sparks escaping from his body.

“Never turn your back.” Lucifer gasped as both brothers fell to the ground. Lucifer’s eyes closed and he rotted into the Earth, the burns of his wings around him. Michael continued to gasp for breath as Jamie raced forward, grabbing him and pulling him to her. His eyes went dull in her grasp.

“Michael!” Gabriel was beside Jamie, his hand on his brother, trying to heal his wound. Jamie gasped, tears coming fast. “No.” Gabriel stared in horror.

Dean and Sam were both at their sides now, Dean holding Jamie to him, Sam at her side. Adam crouched down, his blue eyes wide with disbelief.

Several hours later….

Jamie pulled Dean’s leather jacket tighter around her body. Dean’s right hand was firmly on her shoulder, his left laced in Castiel’s. At Jamie’s right stood Gabriel, Sam next to him. Adam and Samadriel on their other side. Behind them, the hosts of Heaven crowded the clearing where Michael’s funeral pyre stood.

They talked around her. They spoke of Michael. Of his deeds. His power. And they spoke too of her son, their son. Of the man, the angel, the warrior that would become. The true unity of angels and men. But Jamie wasn’t listening. Hot tears cascaded down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, sobbing. Dean pulled her into his chest. Gabriel glanced over his shoulder and finally turned. “Go now, brothers. Your respects have been paid. I will be with you soon.” Obediently the angels left.

“Jamie.” Dean finally said. “It’s time.” Jamie looked up, her eyes red and puffy. She turned around, looking at the pyre. Dean’s arms came up around her, his chin resting on her head as Gabriel snapped his fingers and the pyre ignited. Dean took off his ring and cast it into the fire, followed by Sam, and Adam. Jamie looked down at her hand and wretched Famine’s ring off, throwing it hard into the flames.


	10. Fate

“Jamie, you need to push.” Gabriel’s voice was soft but firm as he knelt between her bent knees. She was curling forward on the bed, clothed in just a black slip. Her hair was limp with sweat and clung to her forehead. Tears streaked her cheeks. Castiel knelt at one side, holding her hand, his own swollen stomach on prominent display. Dean was sitting behind her,his back against the wall, holding her against him, supporting her in the way Michael was suppose to. This role he had filled in the long months since the archangel’s death.

Jamie heaved a sob and shook her head. Her swollen stomach was small and Gabriel was worried for her son. The depression of Michael’s death was deep and dark and the young hunter was reclusive and often ill. Not even Dean could convince her to eat regularly, or even get out of bed, especially as her due date drew nearer. 

Now Gabriel frowned, his golden eyes flashing their worried, dark glance to Dean, who pursed his lips into a thin line and whispered quiet encouragement to his shaking sister.

Downstairs Sam and Samandriel paced nervously as Adam fidgeted restlessly from the couch. Bobby finally looked up from his desk. “Will you three knock it off?! This ain't doing a bit of good.” His voice bite through the silence with authority and all three men jumped at the tone.

Adam sighed and pulled Samandriel down beside him. The youngest Winchester buried his face in his angel’s shoulder. Sam didn't move to sit, instead he just shook his head, looking miserable and far away. “I can't help it, Bobby. Gabriel says the baby is small and…and what if-“

Bobby’s attention snapped to the middle son with a sharp rebuke.“Shut it, boy. That talk ain't gonna help or change nothin. Why don't you boys just get outta here for awhile.” Sam frowned but took his jacket from Adam who had gotten up immediately, pulling his angel with him. He moved with a hurried pace, though there was a sullen, hollow look over his features. “I'll call if something changes.” The old hunter watched the three leave and then got up and mounted the stairs.

Knocking harshly on the door he listened to the noises inside. Cas answered the door a moment later, looking weary. Bobby raised an eyebrow, his sharp eyes giving the pregnant angel a quick once-over.“You look terrible Cas. Maybe you outta lay down before you go into labor.” 

“Already told him that, Bobby.” Dean wiped a line of sweat off his face, looking over at his adoptive uncle. He was no longer seated in the bed, instead he strode over to his angel and embraced him from behind. Bobby glanced in with a questioning look, seeing Jamie laying in her side, her breathing swallow and even. Gabriel was sitting in an old chair at her side, his eyes intently watching. Dean caught his gaze. “Kid wasn't coming down, so Gabriel thought it would be better if she slept a little and then tried again.” 

“Is the kid still doing okay in there?” He asked quietly. He noticed the cloudy, worried look that came over Cas’ face when he asked. 

But it was Gabriel who answered. “Michael’s grace is strong and its growing stronger. The fledgling is wrapping itself in it. It will make the fledgling strong too.” There was a measure of assurance in Gabriel’s voice and Bobby hoped it wasn't faked. 

Dean managed a half smile, slowly releasing his angel. “Come on babe.” He softly pushed Cas out of the room and Bobby went in, closing the door behind him. 

“Anything we can do to help her through this?” He took off his trucker hat and adjusted it. 

Gabriel glanced up and shook his head. “No. Angels can't heal the kind of pain she's in. If it weren't for the fledgling’s grace she’d probably be dead.” Gabriel looked towards the one small window in the room, his voice droning into a faraway tone. “It's not her fault, and it's not Michael’s fault. Angels mate for eternity, her soul is screaming for Michael’s grace, and her baby has a measure of it but now it's trying to leave her.”

“Sounds cruel.” Was all Bobby could think to say as he watched Jamie, eerily calm in the angel-induced sleep. 

“Gabriel?” Dean poked his head into the room. He was tired, and his face was solemn and emotionless. “Cas is having pain.” 

“I'll be right there.” Gabriel got up and Bobby took his seat, holding unto one of Jamie’s hands. With his other he pulled her favorite black comforter higher over her shoulder and smoothed it down. She shifted slightly but did not wake.

Gabriel had manipulated the layout of Bobby’s second floor to accommodate the four couples who now resided there. He kept Bobby’s bedroom where it had been, first door on the left, with the bathroom to the right, but four more rooms including a second bathroom now occupied the deceptively small space.

At the very end of the hall, across from the second bathroom which lay to the right, was Adam and Samandriel’s room. It was the smallest, but also the brightest lit, courtesy of Samandriel’s curious interest in chandeliers, of which the room had two and a smaller one that attached to the wall, and the light blue paint. It also held Adam’s meager collection of vintage medical instruments on flimsy shelves that he had taken out of his old house, along with the pictures of his mother and John, and the baseball he had caught at the game John taken him to for his 12th birthday. 

Next to the second bathroom was Sam and Gabriel’s room. Painted an earthy brown, that also looked like chocolate, it was a bit larger, and it needed to be because it held a large bookshelf filled with all of Sam’s favorite books. More books littered the floor and the small bedside table, which also held a magical drawer to accommodate Gabriel’s bottomless supply of chocolate bars. On the top of that particular book pile was a photo of the four Winchesters with their Angels that Bobby had taken. It was Sam’s current favorite thing and Gabriel made sure to never get chocolate on it. 

Directly across from Sam and Gabriel was Jamie’s room. The walls were painted a dark purple and the furniture was all finished in a black wash that gave the room a dark, almost sinister feel. This was compounded by the blood red painted devil’s trap that lay under the small crib in one corner of the room. A green blanket with an anti-possession symbol stitched into it was draped over the side, and the mobile that hung from the ceiling contained various religious symbols, based on the design of Jamie’s charm bracelet. On the dresser was a framed photo of John with Dean, Sam, and Jamie, beat up and bloody but young and alive on one side, and a photo of Michael and Jamie, taken during their camping trip on the other. As with Sam’s room it also contained a large bookshelf, but mingled with books were various spell supplies, along with knives, guns, crosses, and ammo. A statue of Mary, crowned with stars and a serpent under her feet stood prominently on one shelf, and a statue of Michael slaying Lucifer graced another. 

Dean and Cas now occupied the first room after Bobby’s to the left, right beside Jamie’s. The walls were painted grey and decorated with Dean’s favorite guns and Cas’ obsession with painted nature scenes. A small desk held pictures of John, Mary, Dean, and his siblings, and one of him and his angel locked in a romantic kiss. The bed was the center focus of the room, and a small crib was pushed against either side:one pink, one blue. Cas lay in the middle of the bed, shirtless and panting softly.

“How are you feeling little brother?” Gabriel sat down and put his hand on Cas’s bare stomach. Dean stroked Cas’s hair, wet with sweat. “Woah. How long have you been having pain?”

“Didn't want to say nothin. Jamie was priority.” Cas muttered. Dean frowned. “Why?” 

“Well you're almost ready to deliver and I don't think we’ll have the issues we have with 

Jamie.” 

“What?!” Dean replied in shock, looking down at his angel. “We’re gonna…they’re coming?” 

“Yeah. I'm gonna call Samandriel, you get Cas comfortable.” Gabriel snapped his fingers and Sam, Adam, and Samandriel appeared. “So, bit of a wrench. Turns out Castiel and Dean’s twins want to be born first.”

“What?!” Sam almost fell over in shock. Dean handed him towels and blankets. “Wait…but what about Jamie?” 

“Still asleep. Adam and I will check on her. Is Bobby with her?” Samandriel replied, completely calm, despite the fact that Adam looked more shocked then Sam. Gabriel waved him off and the youngest Winchester and angel headed back to the other room. 

Sam set to work getting the bed ready for Cas while Dean held his angel close and rubbed his belly. Within minutes of getting settled Cas felt the need to push and Dean and Sam both took a knee. “Alright Cas, there's already a head of brown hair down here so push when you're ready.” Gabriel encouraged. He brought over two blankets, one pink and one blue, along with matching pink and blue striped hats. 

Dean looked over at Sam wide eyed and Sam muttered : “holy shit.” 

Cas tensed up, sucking his breath in and holding it as he bared down. His child’s head, whichever one it was, was sitting against his vessel’s tailbone and it registered in his grace as excruciating pain but he tried hard not to show it. “Cas, baby, breath. You're turning blue.” Dean whispered. “Relax now, contraction is over. You gotta push with them and then relax okay?” The sound of his mate’s voice was reassuring and comforting to his ears and the pregnant angel did as he was told. 

In the middle of the third push the fledgling’s head finally popped out and the rest of his body slid out easily. Noah Samuel Winchester opened his mouth to scream before he even opened his sapphire blue eyes. Gabriel put the fledgling on Cas’s chest and the angel smirked. His son looked just like Dean, except he had his vessel’s eyes. Tears ran down his cheeks before he could stop them and he felt the overwhelming softness of love weld up, even stronger then what he felt when he looked at Dean.

Dean, for his part, looked proud and a little teary eyed. He helped Cas wrap Noah in his blue blanket and pressed him against his angel’s chest. Noah had stopped crying now and looked at his fathers with wonder, eyes bright and shining. 

“Oh.” Cas moaned softly. Their daughter was now ready to make an appearance and was possibly more impatient then her brother because as soon as Cas moaned Gabriel basically spread his legs and caught Sophia Mary Winchester as she flew out from her angelic father’s body. 

“Sheesh, what's the rush Princess?” Gabriel asked, chuckling as he and Sam wrapped her in the pink blanket and put her into Cas’s other arm. She had Cas’ messy black hair and for the most part she looked like him until she opened her emerald eyes and Dean started crying about how beautiful his baby girl was. Cas kissed each of his children and then kissed Dean. Dean wiped the tears off Cas’s cheeks and held his family close. 

“They're perfect.” He whispered into Cas’s neck. “I love you.” The shadows of Cas’s wings wrapped around Dean and his family and as Dean watched shadows appeared around his babies and the feathers seemed to touch each other. “Look at that.” 

“They are protective of each other already.” Cas whispered back. His face radiated with pride. 

Sam wiped his eyes and looked over at Gabriel who smirked, already guessing what the taller hunter was thinking. “Soon Sammich, soon.” He muttered with a wink. 

“Adam, Samandriel come meet your nephew and niece.” Cas called when Adam opened the door slightly. 

“Oh wow, that was fast.” Adam said, his eyes lightening up when he saw Noah and Sophia. Sam moved aside and let Adam sit down on the side of Cas so he could look at the babies. 

“Samandriel do you want to meet the nephilim?” Gabriel asked his baby brother. But as he turned he frowned, seeing Samandriel’s face. “What is it?” 

Sam turned as well, and Dean picked up. “Is Jamie okay?” 

“Oh, oh Jamie is fine, still asleep. I…I am sorry.” Adam looked down at Samandriel’s words. “I'm sorry.” 

Sam, Dean, and Cas looked at Gabriel who gently placed a hand on his baby brother’s shoulder. “You can try again, little brother.” He pulled the young angel into a hug.

“Samandriel lost our fledgling.” Adam said quietly, reaching out rubbing Sophia’s hand. 

Cas frowned, more tears streaming down his face. Dean reached out silently and put his hand on Adam’s shoulder. Sam came over and hugged his baby brother. “Wha…what happened?” Cas finally asked.

“We tried to conceive without doing the ritual. We thought Samandriel would be strong enough to carry our baby.” Adam’s voice shook quietly. 

“Sometimes it's not about strength.” Gabriel hugged Samandriel again. “Sometimes the fledgling just dies with no explanation. It is NOT your fault.” He told the young angel. 

“You’ll have a healthy baby soon enough Adam.” Dean promised. 

“What's going in here then?” Jamie’s voice was soft as she appeared in the doorway, one arm around Bobby’s shoulders, both his arms around her waist to keep her upright. 

“What are you doing out of bed?” Sam asked, moving from his brother to his sister. He carefully lifted her into his arms. 

“I wanted to meet my niece and nephew too.” Jamie said, though there was pain in her voice. “I felt Castiel’s grace and Dean’s soul triple. It was…beautiful.” She looked at Gabriel. “I'm ready now, I think. I want my son.” 

“Alright. Let's get you into bed.” Gabriel looked down at Samandriel who nodded that he was okay. “You and Adam stay here with Dean and Cas.” 

“Dean, you should go.” Cas looked over at his hunter. “Jamie and Michael’s child need you.” Dean hesitated. “It's okay.” Cas told him knowingly, rubbing softly against Dean’s chest. “ Michael’s son knows you're his father’s true vessel. Your soul radiates with familiarity, it will help guide out the fledgling.” Dean planted a kiss on Cas’s lips and got up.

Back in Jamie’s room Dean got on the bed and Sam handed their sister to him. “I'll be happy when I can get my arms all the way around you again.” He joked and Jamie actually laughed for the first time in months. Sam and Gabriel shared a glance. 

Jamie shifted uncomfortably in Dean’s grasp then. “Gabriel, um, I can feel his head.” Gabriel scrambled for Jamie while Sam quickly grabbed the green blanket from the crib and followed him. Half a second later, Marcus Dean Winchester was squawking and screaming with healthy lungs in his uncle Sam’s arms. He was small but no smaller then his cousins. “Is he okay?” Jamie barely breathed as she moved away from Dean, settling against the pillows. 

Dean looked at Sam and gently took the baby into his own arms. “He's all Winchester.” He smirked handing the clearly upset baby to his mother. Jamie pulled him to her chest and looked him over. He had Michael’s dark hair, his eyes were green, and his features were all Winchester. He had Jamie’s nose and lips. She kissed her child and he settled at her touch. 

“Hi Mark. Sorry for such a rough trip.” Dean ran a gentle hand over his wide eyed nephew’s head, watching his reactions to his mother’s voice.

“He knows his mom.” He whispered, leaning in and giving Jamie a gentle kiss. She snuggled into his touch for a moment before pulling away. 

“You should go back to Cas.” She whispered, a light smile on her lips. He smirked with a slight nod. He kissed the top of Mark’s head and got up, heading back into the room where the other half of his family was waiting.


	11. Beginning Again

“You need anything, Sis?” Sam asked, pulling her blanket up around her. He touched Mark’s hand, marveling at his nephew for a passing moment. 

“I'm good, Sammy.” She said softly. 

“Okay. We’ll let you have some alone time.” He kissed her forehead and got up, waiting for Gabriel who waved him off. He gave his angel a questioning look but headed out anyway. 

“What is it, Gabe?” Her voice was soft, but her eyes were thick with emotion. She cradled her newborn just a little closer. 

“All of Heaven wants to know when they can meet Michael’s heir.” Jamie pressed her lips into a thin line, looking down at her baby. “I'll tell them they must wait.” 

“No.” The huntress gingerly got out of bed, holding Mark against her chest. “They should meet him. It's what Michael would have wanted.”

With his mother’s permission Gabriel transported the child and his mother to a sunlight field. As a warm breeze blew a legion of angels appeared around them. Gabriel carefully lifted Mark into his own arms. 

“Prince of hosts.”   
“Child of the rising Sun.”   
“Fire of God.”  
“Sword of ages.”   
“Son of power and glory.”

 

Titles, muttered in Enochian but still audible to Jamie’s ears, mixed and mingled around her as each angel sat their vessel eyes upon her son. “The world will rise and fall and rise again under his banner. The grace of his father is in him. And your wrath, Prophetess.” Jamie looked over his shoulder to find Joshua standing behind her. “He will wield his father’s sword against the Darkness, and the Darkness will be cast out. God has given the firstborn of his firstborn his blessing. He names him Zachariah.”

“God has remembered.’ Jamie scoffed, turning more fully to face Joshua. “He gives him the name of the angel who would have tortured and killed my brothers just to make Dean say yes? Tell God my son will never answer to that name.” 

“Joshua.” Gabriel called at that moment. “What name has our Father given to this child?” Every angel turned to Joshua. Jamie took a sharp breath, watching the angel’s face. With a lasting glance at Jamie, Joshua began to speak.

“God has lost his firstborn, our eldest brother, and yet this child bares his grace. When his heir takes up his father’s sword, the name of Michael will be spoken again.” 

“His mother has called him Marcus, and this is the name he will know in his earthy life. Until the time when he passes between realms, we will call him by this name.” Gabriel finished. 

“Blessed be Marcus, son of the Father!” 

Jamie sat in Bobby’s rocking chair, Mark asleep in her arms, wrapped in his green blanket and his fist in his mouth. “Jamie? What are you doing still awake?” Samandriel walked over, grabbing one of the blankets from the couch and laying in his sister-in-law’s lap. 

“Mark wanted a late night snack.” She gave him a smile and he pulled up a chair beside her. “Andri,” she said softly, reaching out to take his hand. “Are you alright? Dean told me about your baby. Are you in pain?” 

The angel shook his head. “No, the vessel hasn't passed the fledgling’s body yet. But I can no longer feel it's grace.” 

Jamie frowned looking at Samandriel. “Did Gabriel check you out?” Samandriel shook his head. “Gabriel?” Jamie called, knowing the archangel would be awake. Gabriel appeared on the stairs and Jamie gestured for him. 

Already guessing what she needed Gabriel had Samandriel lie down with his shirt off. Jamie got up carefully as to not disturb her sleeping newborn. She held Samandriel’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. Gabriel frowned deeply as he probed his brother’s abdominal cavity. “Andri, your infant daughter lives. But she is very ill, that's why you can't feel her grace.” Tears came to the eyes of the youngest angel and Jamie squeezed his hand.

“She has a birth defect?” Jamie asked.

“A very serious one, and unfortunately her father’s body is protecting her too well, I can't lay hands on her to heal her.” Gabriel pulled his hand from Samandriel and sat back. 

“Her wings or her heart?” Samandriel asked. Wings are the vital organ of an angel, the heart the vital organ of a human. “Or her nervous system or her grace?” 

“Her heart and her wings.” Gabriel confirmed. “Both have failed to properly form. Her wings are twisted, and her heart is missing a chamber.”

“But…but if her grace is okay, why can't she heal herself?” 

“Her grace has not yet fully matured. She does not have enough of it to survive. You are her source of grace.” Gabriel explained softly, patting his little brother’s hand. Samandriel started to cry, whimpering like the child his vessel was.

Jamie frowned deeply, looking down at her own child, her expression full of pain and fear. “If Michael was here he could heal her.” A tear slipped down her cheek. 

Gabriel sighed, a frown on his own features. “As powerful as Michael was, there were things even he could not repair. But…if your daughter survives long enough to be born, then I will be able to heal her.” He cupped the angel’s cheek.

“Samandriel?” Adam came down the stairs, his eyes heavy with sleep, but seeing his mate distressed he rushed to the angel’s side. “What's going on?” The youngest Winchester listened carefully as Gabriel described what was wrong. Though fear grew in his eyes, it did not show elsewhere, and when the archangel finished Adam had only one question. “What do we do?” 

“If you two wish to bring this fledgling into the world, know it will be difficult for you, Samandriel. She will feed on your grace while hers develops, and with such a defect she will need much more. Your vessel’s body will want for much, as will you.” 

“So we’re talking a high risk pregnancy.” Dean had slipped into the living at some point during Gabriel’s lecture, and was now leaning against Jamie’s chair, arms crossed, expression vague. “So what do we do?” He echoed Adam’s question.

“As far as Samandriel himself goes, I will give of my own grace to help strengthen you.”

“No.” Samandriel protested shifty around even as Adam shushed him to stay still. “It will weaken you.” 

“Only temporarily. Besides there is no other source, Castiel needs his grace for his children.”

Dean shook his head. “Gabriel you have a baby on the way too, and my little brother will need you.” 

“Yes, but my son has formed his grace and is healthy and strong inside of Sam. This little one, our niece, is not.” The archangel replied firmly, gesturing strongly to Samandriel’s stomach. “We have already lost too much.” He didn't look at Jamie but they knew whom he meant. “This fledgling will live.” 

“Alright.” Adam agreed. Samandriel grabbed his lover’s hand in protest but Adam shook his head. “Alright.” He repeated. “What else. What about Samandriel’s vessel?” 

“The vessel will likely develop several medical conditions: anemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, malnutrition.” 

Samandriel looked like he was going sick, so did Adam. “Those are human illnesses.” Jamie spoke up. “We can treat them. We’ll get insulin shots and put him on bed rest. We’ll manage.” She looked back at her oldest brother. “Right?” 

Dean nodded. “Right.” 

Samandriel wiped his eyes and looked at Adam, squeezing his hand. “For our little girl?” 

Adam kissed their hands, a look of love and determination written across his pale cheeks. “For our little girl.”


	12. Suffering doesn't leave a Winchester

“I hate poking him.” Dean bitched as he leaned against the breakfast table slowly filling a syringe with clear fluid. “All I have to do is walk in there and he starts crying.” 

“We knew this wasn't going to be easy, Dean.” Sam said softly, rubbing his rounding stomach with one hand and stabbing at syrup covered pancakes with his fork. Jamie sat beside him, Mark at her breast. Bobby and Cas were each feeding one of the twins across from them. 

The scene couldn’t have been more domestic, and more evident of the early hour. Dean and Bobby were both dressed in their regular clothes, but they were the only ones. Jamie was dressed yoga pants and a nursing tank top, though most of her torso was covered with Mark’s green blanket. Sammy was wearing gray sweats, rolled down under his stomach, and a baggy black t-shirt that had obviously been bought at some point during his pregnancy because it covered and nearly concealed his bump. He looked particularly pale and tired, his hair messy and eyes sunk in, purple around the lower lids. Cas had on a ratty pair of Dean’s jeans and a a gray Henley with the sleeves pulled up and the top button undone. The second came undone when Noah reached over and grabbed his father’s shirt with cubby fingers before Bobby gently pried them away. Gabriel was barefoot and wearing only jeans and a wornout wifebeater that was probably Sam’s given that it was baggy on his frame and was hitched up around his hips, half tucked unto a small portion of his jeans. 

“Don't look at me.” Gabriel said, deadpan, as he flipped pancakes at the stove. “I have to force feed him grace, and that ain't no picnic either.” Under his breath he added. “I’m not Michael for Father’s sake.” Jamie turned pale as she caught his words. Dean narrowed his gaze. 

“Calm down, Gabe.” Sam coached gently. He reached across the table and squeezed Jamie’s hand. “Fighting about this isn't gonna help.” 

“Dean.” Cas put down the bottle he was holding and lightly patted his husband’s arm. “You're the best with him.” He pulled back to move his daughter unto his shoulder so he could burp her. 

Dean scoffed, setting the vial down and sliding the cap over the sharp needle. “Yeah, only because I don't start crying along with him.” 

“Do you want me to do it, boy?” Bobby asked gruffly, leaning back as he burped Noah and staring hard at Dean. “Because I will.” 

“No!” Gabriel, Jamie, Sam, and Cas all protested at the same time. The last time Bobby gave Samandriel a shot he cried for four hours straight. Dean and Sam had been on a hunt with Gabriel, and they returned to find a house full of extremely upset hunters and angels and babies. Apparently Bobby had grown tired of Samandriel’s crying and Adam’s inability to calm him, and had locked Adam in the bathroom, held Samandriel down and gave him the shot, which traumatized the poor angel and pissed off the hunter. When Jamie found out she sided with her brother, while Samandriel’s crying had been so loud that it set off the three newborns, further angering Jamie and causing Cas to be upset when he couldn’t calm his children. And when Dean found out his anger rivaled Jamie’s, coupled with some loud arguing that turned into yelling when he realized just how upset Castiel was. It had taken the rest of the night, and a lot of effort on Gabriel and Sam’s part, before the house was anything close to peaceful. 

“Guess that settles it.” Dean muttered. He eyed Jamie who sighed, sliding her chair out and getting up. She adjusted her tank top with one hand, holding Mark against her shoulder with the other. She patted his back softly as she followed Dean out of the kitchen and up the stairs. They found that Mark, possibly because he was Michael’s child, soothed Samandriel somewhat. 

“Adam?” Dean called, knocking on the door. His voice wasn’t as soft as he wanted, but he was genuinely tired. Jamie tried not to frown when she looked at him. Pulling Dad plus Uncle plus Hunter plus Nurse duty was starting to wear into her eldest brother. 

“Hey guys.” Adam opened the door slowly. He was naked to the waist, wearing only a pair of blue sweatpants slung low on his hips, so that his pelvic bones rose sharply out of the fabric. His blonde hair was messy and disheveled, and he had bags under his eyes. Behind him Samandriel was asleep in their bed, curled up on his side, arms and sheets wrapped delicately around his bare stomach. Adam’s brow furrowed when he spotted the needle in Dean’s hand. 

“Shot time. How’s sleeping beauty this morning?” Dean shoved his way into the room none too gently, and Jamie followed, giving Adam a sympathetic look. 

“Sleeping, obviously. He had a hard night. Threw up a couple times.” 

“Yeah, we heard him. Gabriel checked on him, right?” Jamie sat down on the empty side of the bed, leaning over and placing a cool hand to Samandriel’s face. “Oh Adam…he’s warm.” 

“He started running a fever an hour ago. I meant to call Gabriel up, but I heard him making Sam breakfast.” Dean and Jamie shared a smirk. Sam’s appetite had been immense throughout his pregnancy but now as his due date approached it was voracious. He may look sick, but he could eat. 

“Sam’s almost done. I’ll go get Gabriel.” She handed Mark to Adam, who giggled happily when he saw his uncle, and snuggled into his chest. Adam kissed the boy’s forehead lightly as Jamie got up and left the room. “Gabriel?” 

The archangel appeared in a second, his face twisted with worry as he already guessed why his sister-in-law had called for him. “Fever?” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement, but still Jamie nodded. Gabriel wrapped his arm around her, holding her to him as they headed into Adam’s room. 

Dean had just finished the shot, evident by the empty syringe he was capping, while Samandriel sobbed quietly into his pillow, holding Mark against his chest. Adam was carefully rubbing his angel’s naked hip. “Hey Andri.” Gabriel cooed softly, approaching his youngest brother. “Crappy way to wake up, huh? Let’s give this kiddo back to his mom, alright?” He reached for Mark, frowning at how warm the angel’s touch was and passed the newborn back to Jamie. “Your stomach bugging you?” 

Gabriel spoke softly but clearly, running down everything about Samandriel’s body, keeping track of what pained the angel and what did not. He took his eyes off his brother only when he heard Sam and Castiel outside the door. Finally he gently pushed Adam back, sitting down beside his brother. “I’m gonna check you over, okay? Do you want Dean and Jamie to stay?” 

Samandriel sniffed and looked over at his mate’s siblings. “Yes.” He muttered softly. 

“Alright, move over to the middle of the bed, okay?” Gabriel got up, and went over to the drawer he had stocked with a few random medical supplies. 

While he gathered what he needed Jamie went out into the hall, handing her son over to her brother. “He’s running a high fever.” She told him, putting a hand to his stomach. Her unborn nephew kicked her hand and Sam winced a little. She looked over at Cas who was frowning. 

“His grace is very weak now.” The angel clutched his two sleeping children a little bit tighter. 

“Gabriel will look after him.” Jamie assured, forcing a smile. “You two go downstairs. I’ll be down in a bit.” Sam nodded, hitting Cas’s shoulder lightly. The young huntress went back inside the room, closing the door firmly behind her. 

Gabriel rolled Samandriel unto his side. Samandriel winced, and clutched for Adam. Dean and Jamie looked worried, their eyes meeting as they both stood with arms crossed and brows furrowed. “Samandriel.” Gabriel’s voice was soft but also firm. “You’re starting to dilate. I’m afraid your water is going to break.” Adam and Samandriel looked to the archangel with anxious glances. 

“What do we do?” Dean’s voice was husky and low, trying to conceal as much emotion as possible. When Gabriel didn’t immediately answer Dean uncrossed his arms and within a second had his brother’s angel by the arm. “What do you we, Gabe?” 

“He doesn’t know.” Jamie finally said after another uncomfortable moment of silence. “There’s nothing he can do.” 

“Ahh!” Samandriel let out a sharp cry of pain and clutched his belly. It moved with the contraction, tightening painfully before relaxing. Flushed gushed from Samandriel’s body, tainted with blood. Adam moved back in horror. Jamie’s hand flew to her mouth. Gabriel and Dean moved at the same time, pulling Samandriel into their arms to get him out of the bed. 

“What now?” Adam moved off the bed, clutching his mate’s hand. But no sooner did he ask did Gabriel and Dean disappear with his angel. “Jamie!” 

Jamie rushed forward and grabbed her brother into a tight hug. “I’ve got you. They just took him to Dean’s room. The bed in there is bigger.” Adam wrapped his arm around her neck so his knees wouldn’t give out on him. 

In Dean’s room hunter and archangel arranged the laboring angel on the bed. “If we let this go on, it could kill him.” Dean hissed, suddenly incredibly protective of his baby brother’s angel. 

“If we try to cut the Nephilim out, it WILL kill her.” Gabriel shot back. 

“No!” Samandriel screamed. “Not my daughter!” He weakly tried to push Dean back, but the hunter didn’t even flinch. “ADAM!” He screamed for his mate, the tone like a dying animal, painful to hear.

“I’m here!” Adam dashed into the room, Jamie on his heels. “I’m here.” He said again, moving unto the bed and holding his husband. “What…what is it?” Samandriel tore at Adam’s shirt, crying and gasping for breath. Horrified Adam looked to his brother and sister. 

“Dean wants to kill her!” Samandriel weeped. “He wants to cut her out. Adam…Adam promise you won’t let him. Promise!”

“Adam-“ Dean started to say. 

Adam put his hand out to silence his eldest brother, his gaze instead focused on his sister. A tear slid down Jamie’s face, her sapphire eyes mournful and dark. “What do you see, Jamie?” His voice was surprisingly solid. 

“We can only save one of them.”


	13. Kate

“Samandriel.” The words rolled off the tongue of the righteous man full of seriousness and command. “You and Adam can try again.”

“Shut up!” The angel hissed with all the ferocity of a mother bear protecting her cubs. The hunter met it with equal gaze, unfazed and undeterred. “What if it was your daughter? What about Jamie’s son?!” Jamie sucked her breath in sharply, just barely audible. “You both fought so hard to save her and Mark!” Jamie flashed back to all the times Dean had admonished her to eat, to get out of bed. “Why? Why is my daughter any less important to you?” 

Dean said nothing, but his emerald eyes burned with the answer to the unspoken question. Who would Dean have saved if it had been Cas, if it had been Jamie? He'd have chosen his lover and his sister. There was no way around it. There was no other choice for him. For as much as he loved Noah, Sophia, and Mark, their unborn lives weren’t worth more to him. But Gabriel would have chosen differently. 

Samandriel’s accusation hung heavily in the room. Gabriel cast a lingering glance at Jamie but then looked away before he could meet her eyes. “Jamie’s son…is-“

“Michael’s only child. I know, Gabriel.” Samandriel sucked his breath in with pain. Adam clutched his hand. “but would you have let Dean kill him to save his sister? No! You would have fought for Mark if it cost you your dying breath! Fight for my daughter. Please. I am begging you, brother. Do not do this.” 

“I would have chosen Mark.” Jamie’s voice shook, heavy with tears yet unshed. “I would have told you to save my son.” She gasped a little, tears threatening even as she walked over to Dean and grabbed his hands. She held them, trembling but grip still strong. “I wouldn't have let you save me instead. Dean…” She looked into her brother’s eyes. The emerald glass of his tenacity and loyalty staring back into her sapphire orbs of determination and resistance. “Samandriel made his choice. You can't make it for him.” 

Dean hesitated, staring down at her before breaking eye contact to look at Adam, quiet through all of this. “Adam…” There was a hint of pleading, but only a hint, defeat covered it up almost completely.

Adam looked down at his angel, face twisted in pain as another contraction ripped through the weakened body of his vessel. He coughed back at sob, looking over at his oldest brother and his sister. “Jamie…” He begged, his voice shaking, all strength gone out of him. 

“Only one.” She echoed her earlier words as though they burned her, because they did. 

“If we take her out, why won't Gabriel be able to heal her?” Dean banged his head back against the wall. He, Jamie, Sam, and Cas stood waiting outside of the room, where Samandriel labored in pain. Adam had requested all but Gabriel leave. His decision was still unspoken, but he seemed to be leaning towards Samandriel’s desire to save their daughter. 

“Laying hands is not a sure thing.” Jamie rubbed her eyes, leaning against the opposite wall. “Right Cas?” 

Castiel hesitated, glancing at Dean before answering his sister. “It can be difficult. Sometimes not even we have the power to save from Death.” 

“Death…” Sam echoed, looking to Dean. “What if…” 

“No.” Dean replied, shaking his head. “We're not getting involved with that.”

Jamie picked her head up off her chest, gesturing to Cas. “Just go ahead and tell them, Cas. If Michael was alive, none of this would be happening.” 

“Jamie…I…” Cas looked worn out. He didn't finish his sentence and instead slumped against Dean, leaning into him. Dean wrapped a protective arm around his angel. Jamie shook her head and looked away.

Sam rubbed his belly and slid down to sit on the floor. “You're not gonna be able to get back up.” Dean teased, but there was barely any humor in his voice. Sam huffed, rubbing his eyes and then running a nervous hand through his hair. “You okay, Sammy?”

“Mm hmm.” Sam replied softly. “Just…had to watch you all stress through your labors, makes me terrified of my own.” 

“Your son is healthy, Sam. And you're healthy. You have nothing to worry about.” Jamie replied quickly, casting her twin a faint smile. “Johnny will be fine. You’ll be fine.” 

“Yeah, and to make sure Johnny is healthy you’re going to bed.” Dean moved away from Cas and grasped both of Sam’s unprotesting hands. “Come on Sammy.” He hauled Sam unto his feet and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, leading him into his bedroom. 

Jamie planted her head against Cas’s shoulder, turning her face into the warmth of his chest. “You feel that? His soul is starting to split.” 

“Yes. He’ll soon be in labor.” Cas ran the back of his hand softly against her hair, before cupping her cheek. “But hopefully not too soon. Gabriel’s attention is needed elsewhere.” 

“What about my attention?” The arch angel stood quietly in the doorway, eyebrow raised, looking at his younger brother and the huntress solemnly. 

“How’s Samandriel?” Jamie asked quickly changing the subject as she straightened, moving away from Castiel’s arms. 

Gabriel shook his head. “He's getting weaker. His vessel can't handle the labor.” Jamie looked away.

Cas sighed deeply. “How soon till the fledgling is born?” 

“Another hour, maybe two.” 

“When he delivers, his vessel should heal, right? Once the strain is off his grace? Cas did.” Dean stated, returning from Sam and Gabriel’s room to join his husband and his sister. 

“His grace is far too damaged to heal rapidly enough if he survives the birth. And if I try to infuse him I won't be able to lay hands on his daughter.”

“And Cas can't because his grace wouldn't be enough. He needs an archangel. They both do.” Jamie added quietly, still staring at the ground. 

Dean crossed his arms tightly over his chest, head bent, eyes staring at the ground. “What if you lay hands on her in the womb.” He looked up at Gabriel. “Cut him open, lay hands on the baby, and then pull her out?” 

“You’d kill them both.” Jamie answered immediately, and then looked at Gabriel. “Wouldn’t you? You can’t rip a Nephilim from its grace like that.” There was horror in her expression, eyes wide and fearful.

Cas shook his head, suddenly seeming hopeful. “You can if the grace has split. That moment when the angel would usually deliver. But Samandriel will be so weak…” Cas moved closer to Gabriel. Gabriel glanced from his brother to Dean and Jamie, crossing his own arms and leaning slightly on the wall. “Gabriel?”

“It would give them both a chance.” He finally said. He pushed off from the wall and turned around. “Jamie, tell Bobby to sit with Sam and then join us.” Jamie nodded, heading downstairs. 

When she returned Dean and Cas had Adam pinned against the wall, the younger brother screaming obscenities as Samandriel cried, trying to move away from Gabriel who had him easily pinned down. “Put Adam out.” Gabriel advised to Cas. “I need your help.” 

Jamie’s brow crinkled in confusion. Dean looked over at her. “Adam doesn’t like the plan. He doesn’t want to risk both of them. Gabriel has decided Adam and Samandriel no longer have a say.” Adam went limp into Dean and Cas’s arms as Cas moved his fingers away from Adam’s head. 

“I don’t like this.” Jamie replied softly, helping her brother move Adam into the chair. 

Cas joined Gabriel on the bed, pinning Samandriel’s hands down so that Gabriel could hold him still. He laid hands on the angel’s belly. “It’s nearly complete. Any moment now. There.” Samandriel let out a loud cry and was suddenly soaked in blood. 

Gabriel grabbed his angel blade. Cas grabbed Samandriel. Jamie grabbed Dean. In a flash Gabriel had sliced Samandriel’s abdomen open and reached inside. Jamie broke from Dean and grabbed a blanket, moving towards the bed. “Stay with us, Samandriel.” Cas whispered softly, his chin on the angel’s head. “You’re okay.” 

“Castiel, please.” Samandriel begged weakly. His eyes fluttered, his head lobbing to the side. “Please let her be okay.” 

Dean joined Jamie, both of them watching Gabriel, who laid the sword aside and put his other hand into the angel. A moment later he pulled out a tiny baby, passing her quickly to his husband’s siblings. She fit into Dean’s two hands as Jamie wrapped the blanket around her diminutive body. Both furiously worked to dry her and stimulate her to cry. Gabriel and Castiel both laid hands on Samandriel and slowly his wounds began to close. “It’s working, how’s the baby?” Gabriel called. He was met with a quiet cry. 

“She’s okay. She’s just small.” Dean said, holding her to his chest as Jamie grabbed a second clean blanket to wrap her in. 

“Take off your shirt.” She instructed, and Dean complied, holding the baby to his bare chest as Jamie wrapped her in the second blanket. She let out another cry. Jamie rubbed her back less vigorously, pressing close to her brother.

“Kate?” Samandriel sat up slowly, now healed and clean of blood. Jamie stepped back and laid her hand on Dean’s arm. “Kate?” He asked again, holding his arms out. Dean moved over to the bed and placed the tiny blue eyed girl into her father’s arms. “Kate. Oh thank you Father.” 

Adam woke with a jolt and set his sights on Gabriel, but another cry from his daughter stopped him mid lunge. He turned slowly to look at Samandriel, his blue eyes wide with fear. “Is…” Words wouldn't come as he moved closer to his husband, sinking down on the bed beside him. “Kate.” He finally said, pushing the purple blanket back to look at his daughter’s face. 

“Catherine Jael Winchester.” Samandriel proclaimed proudly that night, when both father and daughter were determined to be strong and healthy. 

“Andri really likes the story of Deborah and Jael.” Adam explained, rolling his eyes. Kate had her tiny fist wrapped around his finger. 

“Like it? I was there.” Samandriel insisted. Cas gave a small snicker from where he sat at the edge of the bed, blue eyes locked on his newborn niece. 

Dean chuckled as he leaned against the wall beside the door, ever the quiet guardian. “How’s Sammy?” he asked, turning his attention to Gabriel who had slipped quietly into the room. 

“He's asking for his niece. But he's laboring quite quickly now. He wants you.” 

Dean nodded, slipping out of the room and heading to Sam’s side. Jamie was already there, nursing Mark at one arm and holding Sam’s hand. She and Sam both looked up when Dean came in. “Just like old times.” Dean mused, sitting on the opposite side of the bed. “Right Samantha?” 

“Not the time for girl jokes.” Sam huffed. “Though this might be easier if I was.” He added quietly.

Jamie scoffed, and looked at Dean. “How’s the baby?”

“Loud. She’s got those boys wrapped around her finger. Literally.” Dean curled his fingers and rubbed Sam’s lower back vigorously. “Cas loves her too.”

“Good thing you can’t get pregnant.” Jamie said with a slight snicker. Dean rolled his eyes. Sam clutched Jamie’s hand a little tighter. “Contraction?” Sam nodded. “Dean watch the clock.” She shifted a little closer to her twin, holding his hand as he clenched around her fingers. 

“It’s okay Sam, just breath through it.” Dean instructed, rolling Sam unto his side while he continued to rub his back. “I gotcha, little brother.” 

Sam suddenly burst into tears. “I want Gabriel.” He whimpered. The archangel appeared less than a second later. “Gabe?” 

“I’m here, Sammy.” Dean moved out of the way so Gabriel could slide in behind Sam. “I’m right here.” 

“Dean.” Sam reached around and grabbed for his older brother even as his husband resumed Dean’s work on his lower back. 

“I’m not going anywhere but to grab another chair, Sammy.” The hunter squeezed his hand. 

“Here, Dean.” Jamie got up and let Dean take her chair. “Here.” She moved to sit on the bed while Dean took her place and grabbed Sam’s hand again. 

The contraction stopped but Sam was suddenly very uncomfortable, he shifted around against Gabriel. “It’s just the baby moving down, Sam.” His husband reassured. 

“I can’t do it like this.” Sam whimpered. 

“Let him labor on his hands and knees for awhile, Gabriel.” Jamie suggested. Gabriel nodded and he and Dean got up to help Sam unto all fours. “There, hows that, Sam?”

Sam looked over his shoulder at his sister and nodded. “Better.”

“Okay.” Dean patted his brother’s hand and sat back down. “Gonna be a long night.”


	14. Into the night

Jamie chuckled, rubbing her son’s back. He had just about fallen asleep at her breast. “It was already a long day.” Gabriel said with a sigh, leaning his forearms on the bed. 

“No more babies for awhile.” Dean added. 

Jamie raised an eyebrow, her attention now focused on her older brother. “You telling us, or yourself? Because I’m sure Sammy doesn’t want to do this again any time soon, and I…”

Dean stopped her before she could finish, suddenly very aware of the mistake he had made. “Oh shit. Jamie, I didn’t mean…I’m sorry.” 

Jamie shook her head. “No, it’s alright. I’m gonna put Mark to bed, I’ll be right back, Sam.” She got up and headed into her own bedroom. 

Mark didn’t even stir as his mother laid him in his crib and covered him with the green anti-possession blacket. “Jamie.” Dean’s voice was soft as he stood against the doorway, leaning on it with one strong forearm. 

“Dean.” Tears suddenly rolled out of Jamie’s eyes and down her face. She gripped the railing of the crib, sinking down to her knees. In a flash Dean gathered her into his arms, holding her against his shoulder as she sobbed. Jamie pulled back, looking at her brother. “My soul, his grace, we…he was mine. He saved me. He saved me that night when Mom died, he saved me when Sam died, he saved me from Lilith. And when he needed me, I couldn’t save him.” She sobbed, tears freely flowing down her pale cheeks. “I couldn’t save him.”

“You tried.” Dean told her, his voice was hoarse as he brushed her hair away from her face. “It wasn’t your fault. Michael knew what Lucifer was capable of. He wanted to protect you, and his brothers, and our family.” 

Jamie shook her head, burying her face in her hands. “I didn't need his protection. I didn't need him to save me, to save our son. I needed him to stay alive!” 

“Jamie…” Dean grabbed her hands. “You couldn't have stopped what happened to Michael, none of us could. I’m still here. I will always be here for you, and for Mark.”

“Hey. Is she okay?” Gabriel asked when Dean re-entered the room and tiredly sat down in the chair. 

“Cas is with her. She’s alright. How’s Sam?” Dean gestured to his brother, now curled up on his side and sleeping.

“Resting. I gave him an edge off his contractions, he's got a bit to go yet.”

“He ain't having any…uh…complications is he? I mean, Cas and Samandriel are angels and Jamie’s a girl.” Dean winced a little. 

Gabriel snickered. “It's okay. It will be painful, but vessels are strong enough to house Angels and their offspring. Biologically humans all start as female anyway, it's just activation of the Y chromosome that triggers formation of male genitalia. Without it-“

“I get the picture, thanks.” Dean cut in, a bit surly. “But he still ain't got the right plumbing.”   
“Ehh…it's complicated. I don't think you want me to explain.” 

“Yeah I rather you not. So question. Why hasn't your dad brought Michael back. He did it with Cas, with you.”

Gabriel frowned, sitting back against the wall. “I've been asking him the same question. He uh he hasn't answered. He must be using Michael’s grace for something. What I don't know. Heaven’s back in order, Hell is a bit of a mess but Crowley is fixing it.” 

“Crowley?” Dean raised an eyebrow. “That smarmy dick is in charge?” 

“I had a long talk with Crowley with my angel blade pointed at his boys, he issued a hands off policy while he's cracking down on hell.” 

Dean snickered, shaking his head. “Well you did turn out to be good for something after all.” 

Gabriel smirked. “I uh…never intended to get this involved in your lives, at least not in this way. I always figured Mike and Luce would jump in and I'd just join whoever won their little pissing contest. Money always on Michael of course. I just never accounted for the stubbornness and charm of you Winchesters. All four of you.” 

“I guess we both underestimated each other.” 

“I'll drink to that.” 

Sam woke up and started moaning. Gabriel instantly moved to kneel behind him, stroking his lower back roughly through another contraction. "Breath Sammy. It's okay."

Sam sniffed quietly. "I feel like I need to push."

"Okay. Hang on for a second." Gabriel patted Sam's back and pulled up the blanket. He slipped his hand underneath for a moment. Sam squeezed his eyes shut in obvious discomfort. "Okay. You can push now Sam." Gabriel withdrew his hand. "Do you wanna stay like this, or turn over?"

Sam whimpered. Dean squeezed his hand. "It's okay little brother. You're in control here."

"I want you to hold me." Sam whimpered. "Please Dean." There were tears in his eyes now.

"I can do that for you, Sammy." Dean nuzzled Sam's cheek and stood up. He shucked off his flannel shirt and kicked off his boots before moving into the bed beside Sam. He propped himself up on Sam and Gabe's pillows and then slowly eased Sam down against his chest. "You okay Sammy?" Sam nodded. "Okay." He looked over Sam's shoulder to Gabriel.

Gabriel moved in closer to Sam, moving the blankets out of the way.

Outside Jamie came out of her room, Cas supporting her against his chest. She reached over and grabbed Cas' hand. Cas squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Adam came out a few seconds later. "Andri says Sam's about to give birth."

Cas nodded. "I can feel his son's grace."

Jamie's lower lip quivered a little as she squeezed Cas' hand. "So can I." Tears rushed down her cheeks.

"That's it Sammy. One more push." Gabriel urged, perched between Sam’s spread legs. "Dean, can you hand me that blanket." He gestured to the yellow blanket beside the crib. Dean reached over and put the blanket beside the bed. "Okay, Sam. Take a deep breath."

"Dean." Sam cried.

"Shh," Dean rubbed away Sam's tears. "I've got you." He kissed his brother's cheek. Sam's body went rigid and then began to relax. Dean watched as Gabriel pulled out his nephew. "Sam, look." He demanded, urging Sam to open his eyes. When he did Gabriel put their son on his chest, followed by the yellow blanket. "Look at your little boy."

"Gabe." Sam whimpered, looking up at his husband.

"I know." Gabriel pulled the blanket back over Sam, and Dean shuffled around, helping Sam sit up and then lay back against the pillows.

Their son didn't cry, but he did mew softly, his green eyes wide with wonder at the world around him. He had Sam's nose and Gabriel's mouth, his hair was honey colored like Gabe's. "You're beautiful." Gabriel muttered, kissing his son's head as he bent over Sam. 

"John Henry Winchester." Sam looked over at Gabriel for confirmation. Gabriel nodded, kissing Sam's brow. "John Henry Winchester." Sam repeated, this time leaning closer to his son, to whisper the name into his baby boy’s ear.

“John Henry Winchester.” Dean repeated, seated at the foot of the bed. "Calvary's outside, want me to let them in?" He asked after a few quiet minutes passed.

"Go ahead. Here." Sam gently passed John into Dean's arms. Dean rewrapped the yellow blanket around his nephew, smoothing the anti-possession symbol over his chest before going over and opening the door.

"Johnny wants to meet his aunt and uncles." Dean closed the door behind him, revealing the baby in his arms. Jamie, followed by Cas and Adam crowded around Dean. Jamie moved beside her brother, who placed John into her arms. Cas wrapped his arms around his husband, his head resting in Dean's shoulder.

"He looks like Dad." Adam said softly, leaning his arm on Jamie's shoulder. He reached over and stroked the newborn’s hand, so that John wrapped his tiny fingers around Adam’s. 

"They all look like Dad if you ask me. Even Sophia." Dean remarked, kissing Cas’s cheek. 

"Nah, Mark looks you. Noah looks like you. Sophia looks like your mom and Cas. Kate looks like Andri." Adam disagreed.

Jamie rolled her eyes. "I think he looks like photo of Henry Dad always had." She said, kissing John’s cheek. “He’s got those Winchester eyes, the ones that can’t make up their mind if they’re green or hazel.” 

"Alright. My kids are asleep, I'm gonna take advantage of that. Come on feathers." Dean grabbed Cas' hand and headed to the door. "Night everyone." Cas chuckled, blushing as he followed after Dean.

"Don't wake up Bobby." Adam called after them with a laugh. "I better take Kate so my husband can finally get some sleep." he grinned, heading after Dean and Cas.

Jamie tried to smile but her eyes were sad as she knocked on the door and went in. Gabriel noticed. He kissed Sam and a knowingly glance passed between them. “He’s beautiful, Sam.” She put the baby into her brother’s arms and leaned in to kiss him. He kissed her back, nuzzling her cheek. “Get some rest.” She smiled as she pulled back.

"Jamie?" Gabriel followed Jamie into her bedroom. "Jamie, come on. Let's go take a walk." Gabriel handed her black canvas jacket over. She glanced over at the crib, reaching in and tucking Mark’s green blanket more securely around him, making sure her son was still soundly asleep. Her eyes glanced around to the wards before she sighed and followed after Gabriel.

"You know I'm here for you, right?" The archangel shoved his hands in his pockets walking closely beside his sister-in-law. The night air was chilled, and their breaths came in puffs of smoke. The angel stared into the night sky. "I'm not Michael, I'm not Dean, but I'm here."

Jamie sighed again, moving her hair away from her face. "Nothing is gonna bring Michael back. And I know that. I just…I’m afraid for my son. For the legacy on his shoulders.” She glanced over at Gabriel. “They called him Michael. They gave him his father’s sword. And I called him Dean. I gave him my brother’s resolve. What if it’s too much?”

“The angels see Michael’s grace in him. You see your brother in him. They’re not exactly opposite forces, Jamie. Dean’s stubborn strength, Michael’s unyielding loyalty, he’ll get that from you, not them. Because they’re your traits too. That’s why he has them both. In you, from you, comes what was best in Michael. Your loyalty to him was the same loyalty he served Heaven with. And you have your brother’s strength, you are fire as much as you are air. In so much as you are Famine, you are also Death.” Gabriel put his hand to Jamie's cheek. "Everything that you are lives in him. He is his mother's son, and Heaven and Hell will never change that."


End file.
